HARARE - Dendera musician Suluman Chimbetu’s maintenance fees for his two minor children were yesterday slashed from $800 to $400 by a Harare Civil Court.

Chimbetu was represented by Arshiel Mugiya and sought the downward variation after citing that he could no longer manage to pay the money because the music industry was also being affected by prevailing economic hardships.

Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube granted the application and ruled that “indeed Chimbetu was not spared by the harsh economic conditions”.

Ncube said it was not in dispute that the number of shows and people that attended music concerts that funded Chimbetu’s livelihood had dropped.

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He also considered that Chimbetu’s wife was no longer employed and the burden of family responsibilities became solely his.

The development comes four months after Chimbetu was fined $100 for failure to pay maintenance after he had delayed sending the money to his ex-wife Marygold Mutemasango.

In his application, Chimbetu said the $800 was unsustainable considering that the company he works for Orchestra Dendera Kings (Pvt) was only paying him $750.

Sulu Chimbetu

“...that company is the one that owns the musical band known as Orchestra Dendera Kings together with all the musical instruments and motor vehicles that the band uses. The reason I have pointed out my actual earnings is because Mutemasango seems to have an understanding that I am swimming in a pool of gold,” Chimbetu said.

“The general economic crisis which is affecting the country has had direct bearing on the number of individuals who attend our shows as well as the number of shows held every week.”

Chimbetu added that the number of people who attended their music concerts had dropped from between 700 and 1 000 to between 150 and 250 individuals.

He bemoaned the piracy scourge saying it was a contributor to the decrease in income realised by musicians from music sales.

“Producing a new album means costly payments of studio time, marketing as well as launching the album yet not even a cent is earned from that effort and this has deprived me of any extra income,” Chimbetu added.

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HARARE - Dandemutande Investments, a leading Internet Access Provider, says it has received full approval from the Competition and Tariff Commission for its acquisition of YoAfrica, a leading player in the provision of Internet services to the Small and Medium Enterprise market.

“We are delighted with the news. Whilst Dandemutande is the connectivity provider of choice for corporate and regional enterprises, the approval of the YoAfrica transaction additionally positions us as the largest solutions provider to the SME market,” Dandemutande chief executive Nhena Nyagura said.

“We want our customers to succeed in the markets they operate in and in the coming months we will introduce tailored products and solutions that will help them to transform the markets they serve.”

Speaking on the development, the marketing manager Cassandra Chiumbu-Maseko said “In support of this development, we will be relaunching the Utande brand under the theme ‘beyond Broadband’ because the Internet and online platforms provide a world of opportunity to increase business growth and efficiency. Utande will specifically focus on digital transformational solutions that speak to the needs of the SME market.”

The CTC approval and subsequent relaunch of Utande strengthens Dandemutande’s national presence and firmly establishes its dominance in the enterprise market.

It is also one of the leading providers of VSAT services in Zimbabwe.

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HARARE – The National Social Security Authority (Nssa) says it is ready to administer its voluntary pension scheme for the informal sector.

“Our actuaries are currently working on the model and design of the scheme,” Nssa chairperson Robin Vela said, adding that the pensions administrator aims to launch the voluntary informal scheme before the end of the first quarter of 2018.

Zimbabwe in 1989 set up a compulsory national social security pension scheme which is provided for by Nssa.

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This scheme is important as it provides some form of security during retirement, invalidity or death of a breadwinner who was a member of the scheme.

Since operations by Nssa started in October 1994 there have only been two schemes: the National Pension Scheme and the Workers Compensation Insurance Fund. 

These two schemes only cover members in formal employment.

National Social Security Authority

However, the informal sector, small to medium enterprises and domestic workers are not included.

The new scheme, which was expected to have been operational by the end of this year, will target these previously excluded groups.

According to Nssa, 72 percent of people in the informal sector do not contribute to any social security scheme. The sector makes up 70 percent of Zimbabwe’s economic activity and contributes more than 50 percent to the country’s gross domestic product, according to official statistics.

In terms of social security systems Zimbabwe is lagging behind other countries in the region and globally.

In India for example the Atal Pension Yojana is open to all Indian citizens in the 18-40 age group, whether they are formally or informally employed.

Meanwhile, Vela said the minimum retirement pension monthly pay-out was increased from $60 to $80 from October 1, 2017, in line with the organisation’s desire to deliver a liveable pension to our pensioners.

“The 33,3 percent  increase was arrived at on the recommendation of the authority’s independent actuaries who were tasked with coming up with a sustainable increment,” he said.

Vela added that Nssa’s performance has continued to improve with actual management accounts to end October showing, for the year end December 31, 2017, a projected double digit percentile increase in all the key matrices of fund size — investment income, and profitability in excess of the $100 million achieved in the prior year.

“Taking all this into consideration, the board (using its discretion) has approved a bonus payment equivalent to a 13th cheque to all pensioners with their December 2017 pension,” he said.

As part of strategies to make life easier for pensioners, Nssa successfully engaged banks for exemption of bank charges to pensioners, senior citizens who are 60 years and above.

Currently, all 14 banks that hold Nssa pensioner accounts are offering this service.

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HARARE – The announcement of a new Cabinet by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his subsequent revision of it to address the constitutional mistakes he had made should not be treated as a small thing.

Mnangagwa is historically a stickler for detail and is known for meticulous planning and therefore his gaffe was something that was least expected.

There are many reasons why this was not expected and one of them is that he’s a lawyer and has experience both from being a solicitor and a former Justice minister.

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In drawing up his list of Cabinet ministers last Thursday, Mnangagwa violated the Constitution by appointing more than the stipulated five non-constituent MPs to take roles of ministers. He appointed eight.

According to section 104(3) of the Constitution, the president may appoint up to five ministers and deputy ministers from outside Parliament.

The president also had to revise his Cabinet to comply with Section 104 (4) which demands him in appointing ministers and their deputies to be guided by considerations of regional and gender balance.  Still there is no gender balance.

As Justice minister and later vice president, Mnangagwa is well-versed in these procedures but to be fair to him, he was overwhelmed by the pressure to form a new government. But he needed a trusted person to run through his choices for compliance purposes.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa

The president’s faux pas should act as a timely reminder to Mnangagwa that he needs good advisors who can support him in the implementation of his programmes. Part of the reason why former president Robert Mugabe lasted so long in power was his uncanny ability to see this long before they were due.

Perhaps his embarrassing fall was the only thing that he failed to see.

Having been by Mugabe’s side for nearly 54 years, it is hoped that Mnangagwa learned a lot from his close association with the deposed 93-year-old.

And it is fair to say that his long time in government and being a pillar of the Mugabe administration should spur Mnangagwa to do better than the man he replaced.

Mnangagwa has a difficult task in trying to extricate the country out of the black hole that Mugabe created and he needs the right people in government; be they ministers or advisers.

The false start that he has made is not a yardstick of his performance but it’s worth noting.

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HARARE – The fall of Zimbabwe’s long-serving president, Robert Mugabe, appears to have given hope to sacked former Zanu PF stalwarts who are now retracing their footsteps back to the former liberation movement.

There is renewed hope among the former Zanu PF senior officials since the appointment of  Emmerson Mnangagwa as first secretary.

Barely a week after former Masvingo provincial affairs minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti signalled his intention to rejoin Zanu PF, another ex –official, Claudius Makova, has written a letter seeking re-admission into the party.

And this is at the expense of the troubled Zimbabwe People First which was formed after Mugabe hounded several officials from Zanu PF on untested allegations of wanting to topple him in the run-up to the party’s December 2014 congress.

In a letter addressed to Zanu PF’s deputy secretary for administration July Moyo, Makova said now that Mugabe is out of the picture he feels at ease to rejoin the ruling party that is now led by Mnangagwa.

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“The removal of the G40 cabal and the removal of one centre of power from Zanu PF give me enough confidence to revert to my party and continue to fight for the total emancipation of our people in our people-driven party Zanu PF.

“My motivation is to remain a servant of the people in a party that I have served for the greater part of my life,” said Makova.

The outspoken politician along with Bhasikiti attended a Zanu PF Masvingo provincial coordinating committee (PCC) meeting over the weekend.

The two politicians have stood together in the last three years jumping from one political party to another, but never really fitting in.

Zanu PF Masvingo province spokesperson Ronald Ndava confirmed that Makova and Bhasikiti attended a PCC meeting.

“We were with them. As an executive we are going to sit down and discuss the way forward, but we are a big family. A committee will sit down and decide what we can do. It will be a collective decision,” Ndava told the Daily News.

One of the founding elders of the ZPF and former Cabinet minister in Mugabe’s government — Didymus Mutasa who was also sacked from Zanu PF in the run up to December 2014 congress — said it was time that both Makova and Bhasikiti found  a permanent home.

“Now that there is freedom in Zimbabwe let them do as they please, but let them not jump from one party to another. They jumped from (the then ZPF led by Joice) Mujuru and then came to us and they jumped from us to join the (Zimbabwe People First led by Agrippa) Mutambara, now they are going back to Zanu PF. It’s very funny,” said Mutasa.

Makova and Bhasikiti’s days in the political wilderness were largely because they had fallen out of favour with Mugabe, whose long political career came to an end on November 21 when he resigned ahead of an impeachment by Parliament.

Along with Bhasikiti, Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo, Makova parted ways with Mujuru early this year and retained the name of the party that they formed after a bitter expulsion from Zanu PF.

It was not long before ZPF split again in the middle and Makova and Bhasikiti dumped Mutasa and Gumbo to follow retired brigadier general Mutambara, who kept the name ZPF.

History repeated itself again as the two politicians crossed swords with Mutambara over a leadership raw.

“I have already resigned from ZPF where I was now serving as the secretary-general of the party. I find no reason to be serving in any other party when Zanu PF has reverted to its original ideals by the “operation restore legacy,” said Bhasikiti as he seeks to rejoin longtime comrades at Zanu PF.

Just like Bhasikiti, Makova in his letter to Mutasa and Gumbo said the two co-leaders of ZPF should seriously consider closing shop and returning home to Zanu PF.

“It was my great expectation that we should have collectively closed shop or disbanded our party ZPF and go back to Zanu PF where we originally all belong,” said Makova.

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BULAWAYO – There are growing calls for comprehensive electoral reforms to allow the national elections management body — the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) — to carry its mandate without alleged Executive interference.

These calls were repeated in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces at the weekend in the on-going countrywide consultations by the Justice and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio committee which is gathering people’s views on a Bill proposing to amend the Electoral Act.

The Bill seeks to introduce amendments that specifically deal with the voter registration process and the proposed amendments largely cater for the introduction of the biometric voter registration (BVR) system.

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“There is need for a complete overhaul of the whole Electoral Act so that it reflects the aspirations of our people not this thing of piece-meal amendments which will cost taxpayers’ money because if the whole Act is not amended then in the next six-seven months you will be coming back to us, again using taxpayers’ money.

“We have always said that the Electoral Act should make sure that there is no Executive interference in the work of Zec and that the composition of its staff should be nonpartisan unlike what the case is right now where we know there is a military element in the commission and that its funding is controlled by the Executive through a minister who should approve any funding outside government. That is unacceptable and should be corrected through these amendments,” said Tinei Mukwewo, who was representing Abammeli Lawyers for Human Rights at the Small City Hall in Bulawayo.

One participant in Gwanda said the Bill should cater for thousands of families whose children did not have birth certificates and national identity cards as a result of difficulties presented by the 1980s’ disturbances in the region.

“We even want it to be included in the Act that the people of this region be allowed to get birth certificates, national identity cards to allow them to register as voters without stringent conditions being attached because of the region’s historical background of disturbances,” said the participant who refused to be named.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) said Parliament should consider the constitutional principles that set out the minimum thresholds of free, fair, peaceful and credible elections.

Zesn said that the electoral framework of Zimbabwe requires comprehensive and holistic amendments to ensure it is in conformity with the Constitution and regional guidelines on good governance and elections.

“So far, the piece-meal approach adopted in the amendments represent the objectionable approaches that have been previously adopted in the past, of amending parts of the sum to the Electoral Act.

“Zesn observes that some of the proposed amendments deal with issues that could have been addressed by previous amendments if the process had been done meticulously.

“Of greater concern is that the current amendment Bill only focuses on a narrow, specific issue related to voter registration,” the civic group said in its position paper on the proposed amendments.

“The Bill once again fails to address all key provisions of concern that still fall foul of the Constitution. The passage into law or otherwise of this Bill will not resolve the broader problem of incomplete and piece-meal amendments to the electoral law.

Despite the latest proposed amendments, it is submitted that several legal provisions in the Electoral Act still require revision, to bring them in line with the Constitution.

“The existence of potentially unconstitutional provisions within the Electoral Act and other relevant legislative pieces has a bearing on the holding of a free, fair, peaceful and credible election as envisaged by the Constitution and the Sadc principles and guidelines governing the conduct of democratic elections,” added.

The nationwide consultations have been in the past criticised for not capturing the views of the ordinary people.

Critics say the proposed amendments represent a continuing piece-meal approach to amending the Electoral Act.

This is the third time the Act is being amended in just less than four years since Zimbabwe wrote the Constitution in 2013.

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HARARE – Radical pressure group, Tajamuka/Sesijikile is dogged by serious problems which were further highlighted at the weekend when the organisation dismissed a meeting held to seal the fate of one its founders, Promise Mkwananzi, who is accused of embezzling donor funds.

Mkwananzi has denied the accusations.

The rift in the movement widened over the weekend when 13 members convened a meeting to suspend Mkwananzi for a year over the allegations of abusing funds.

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“He is further banned from participating in any committee for the next five years after his one year suspension expired. Promise is also required to restitute all payments received by him on behalf of the campaign.

“A committee consisting of three people has been set up to engage Fadziso Jena, who is the complainant, and share with her findings of the Tribunal,” the group said in a statement.

Some of the people who sat in the meeting include MDC provincial youth secretary and aspiring councillor for ward 17 Denford Ngadziore, MDC national youth executive Hardlife Mudzingwa and Darlington Madzonga.

The group moved to ratify the tribunal ruling that suspended Mkwananzi from Tajamuka/Sesijikile campaign activities for a period of one year.

But another group immediately issued a statement dismissing the meeting which suspended Mkwananzi.

“It is not true that Mkwananzi has been suspended from Tajamuka. A group of 13 youths sat and purported to suspend Promise Mkwananzi. Here is why their actions are not just a nullity but a threat to the unity and consolidation of the democratic progress in Zimbabwe.

Promise Mkhwananzi

“The meeting they conducted was not properly constituted and did not fully reflect and represent the full membership and composition of Tajamuka. The majority of the opposition parties and other key civic society organisations were not present let alone invited or informed of the clandestine meeting,’’ the other group said in a statement.

“Importantly, not a single province outside Harare was represented, yet Tajamuka is a national platform which has representation and activities countrywide.

“These individuals pretend to be representatives of civic society organisations for two main reasons... to attract and secure funding. It is very difficult to secure funding under the auspices of a political party because of the Political Parties Act and simply being a political party.

“They use those bogus organisations to access and dominate meetings and influence the direction of common platforms such as is this case with Tajamuka right now,” it added.

Tajamuka/Sesijikile shot to prominence last year when it joined civic, human rights and political groups in holding demonstrations to force former president Robert Mugabe and his government to act on the economic rot in the country.

The radical group even launched a spirited constitutional fight to have Mugabe forced to resign over a slew of allegations which it said underlined his unfitness to continue in office.

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HARARE – Local mobile telephone company, Telecel Zimbabwe, has sued Africom over $343 000 from interconnection fees arising from a deal penned in 2011.

According to court papers, the two mobile network operators entered into an interconnection agreement where they agreed to connect and keep connected their telecommunications networks and also convey calls to each other’s networks in exchange for an amount of money calculated on the number and duration of calls conveyed and received.

In terms of the agreement, there was a billing procedure based on each party’s traffic report and an invoice in respect of the interconnected fees owed by the other party.

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Telecel told the High Court that Africom had failed to pay the outstanding amount, which prompted it to approach them.

“A statement was prepared and agreed based on the traffic reports provided by both parties which indicated that the defendant (Africom) owed plaintiff (Telecel) the sum of $346 148, 38.

“Defendant signed in acceptance of the same on September 8, 2015. Notwithstanding and in breach of the Interconnection Agreement, the defendant has not settled its indebtedness, but has only made one payment of $3 000, leaving the sum of $343 148, 38 outstanding,” Telecel said its suit filed at the High Court.

However, Africom through Rudo Mudavanhu, who during the material time was the company’s chief operating officer, said in terms of the agreement between the parties, any dispute that arose from the pact was supposed to be referred to arbitration.

“Accordingly this court has no jurisdiction to determine the current dispute.

“In terms of Section 15 (d) of the Prescription Act (Chapter 8:11) a debt like the alleged one is extinguished by prescription after the lapse of three years. Defendant pleads that any of plaintiff’s claims/fees falling outside the three-year prescriptive period…before January 5, 2012 have therefore been extinguished by prescription and are not claimable.

“In the premises, defendant prays for the dismissal of plaintiff’s claims with costs in so far as they relate to the period before January 5, 2012,” said Mudavanhu.

Mudavanhu challenged Telecel’s claim that Africom acknowledged being indebted to it in the amount demanded or any amount.

“She (Mudavanhu) shall further state that the amount claimed is not yet due and the quantum is disputed. In terms of the Interconnection Agreement, parties must compare reports in order to determine the amount due and to whom. To date the parties have not yet compared reports,” the court heard.

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HARARE – Harare municipality which is among many local authorities battling to replace antiquated water supply equipment is set to benefit from a three million euro funding by the Dutch government which is aimed at improving supplies in the capital.

According to the director of water Hosea Chisango, the funding will also provide learning opportunities for the staff.

“The programme will allow for capacity building, organisational transformation, strategic and investments planning in water supply infrastructure.

“Harare water will benefit immensely from this partnership in terms of new and appropriate technologies and also possible funding for infrastructure rehabilitation,” Chisango said.

Harare municipality is currently implementing projects under the Zimbabwe multi-donor funded Water Supply and Sanitation Rehabilitation project phase 2.

One of the projects under the multi-donor funding was awarded to Vitens-Evides.

Harare’s distribution network has 15 booster pump stations and 28 storage reservoirs with a total capacity of 850 000 cubic metres.

According to Chisango the city’s water distribution network is plagued with numerous burst pipes because of the materials used. The distribution network is also aged with some of the pipework now over 60 years and prone to leakages.

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HARARE – Chitungwiza Central Hospital nurses yesterday escalated their calls for the provision of basics to use during patient care yesterday, forcing the hospital’s chief executive officer, Obadiah Moyo to meet with them and address theirs and the patient’s plight.

This comes as David Parirenyatwa who has been Health minister since 2013 was reinstated for the same post by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The nurses who were entering into the second day of their strike, following Friday’s demonstration said they will not stop until the issues are addressed.

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Things such as gloves, bandages, detergents, oxygen, adequate food and other necessities are said to be in critical shortage at the hospital.

During the morning feed even bread was in shortage with the nurses saying only one loaf was supplied per 42 patients.

Moreover the nurses said they had to feed patients with rice and cabbages as they lamented having to watch patients dying as a result of lack of drugs and oxygen.

“We don’t even have detergents to clean the theatre, or even wash the linen, how are you supposed to operate in an environment like that. We don’t even have gloves.

“We care about our patients and we want these things to be corrected. We are meeting with the chief executive and we are hoping something will be done soon,” Zimbabwe Nurses Association Harare executive member Chris Mnangagwa said.

Another nurse told the paper that she could not even administer drugs as the patients could not afford them.

“In my ward I didn’t even give medication because they did not have money to buy any medicine. The pharmacy here is very expensive and the hospital does not have any medication. Some will only have to wait for their relatives to come and buy,” the nurse said.

Efforts to get a comment from Moyo were fruitless as he was said to be in marathon meetings.

Early in the morning, Moyo had to sneak into his office after abandoning his car, hence entering incognito.

He later met with the hospital executive, officials from the ministry and the nurses’ representatives in different meetings to map a way forward to solving the crisis.

Zimbabwe Nurses Association secretary-general Enock Dongo said the nurses also pointed out that the private public partnership was not working as it was depriving the patients who should instead be benefiting.

“We are fully behind the nurses because they are being the advocates of the patients and they are raising genuine concerns,” Dongo said.

“The hospital’s lab and x-ray are also incapacitated but you find that the private ones are operational; at the end of the day it will seem as if there is some kind of sabotage somewhere.”

“Is this still a government hospital or it’s now a private facility? They should clearly state that. There are also reports of mismanagement of funds, with priority being given to luxuries for management.”

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HARARE – An exhibit officer based at CID Vehicle Theft Squad Southerton Harare who was accused of swallowing $10 bribe money after being busted by a “trap team”  has been acquitted.

Tsingano was being charged with criminal abuse of office but Harare magistrate Josephine Sande noted that  evidence adduced by the State was not convincing for a court to convict her in the circumstances.

She noted that the State’s star witness was also an accomplice in the offence hence his evidence ought to be treated with caution.

The case was subsequently thrown out.

The complainant was the State represented by assistant inspector Stewart Rakabonga of Police General Headquarters Harare (PGHQ).

Tsingano is sorely responsible for booking exhibits and undertaking restoration — a process of regularising car engine or chasis number with the one that appears on the registration book.

According to the State on March 7, Tsingano was at work when Charles Mutama brought his Mazda 626 for change of ownership and it was discovered that the car’s chassis number was not legible.

She reportedly demanded $20 from Mutama for his car not to be impounded and he asked for her phone number to transfer the money via EcoCash.

That same day Mutama advised PGHQ Internal Investigations department about the issue and a trap was set up on March 8.

On March 8, Mutama returned to Tsingano in the company of  trap details and handed over the $10 in two $5 denominations to the cop.

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HARARE – Former Primary and Education minister Lazarus Dokora has said he gave it his best despite public distrust while his predecessor Paul Mavima believes Dokora was “hugely misunderstood.”

Dokora along with Christopher Mutsvangwa and Clever Nyathi had made it into Cabinet last week only for their appointments to be rescinded two days later.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa quickly moved to drop them from his Cabinet upon realising that he had overlooked the number of non-constituency legislators he could appoint to be ministers.

Had Dokora not been chopped, it would have been a continuation of his tenure which begun in 2013.

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“It was about the number of non-constituency members,” said Dokora, before defending his position on the new curriculum insisting “there were cabinet decisions” which he was only a figure head in their implementation.

Dokora had previously told the Daily News that “the name calling, the attention drawing by persons or even the agenda setting by media,” had not left him dismayed.

“In itself it has actually assisted the education sector in making sure that everybody pays attention to the processes that are underway in the ministry,” he said.

“At the beginning I kept saying ‘no I am not changing (anything), we need to tweak, we are good at knowledge form but we need skills and value…so ultimately everyone appreciates that you can’t continue to produce kids who are dysfunctional in their own economy. It doesn’t make logical or rational sense.”

Dokora is fully aware that many of his pronouncements have set him on a collision course with stakeholders in the education sector but his successor would like to see him being remembered in good light.

“He was a hard worker, that work ethic is what I learnt from him. A lot of people misunderstood him. He was a visionary. He knew where he wanted to take the new curriculum,” Mavima told the Daily News yesterday.

The introduction of the national pledge which critics said was an attempt to indoctrinate children set Dokora on a collision course with many.

His pronouncements on condoms and scripture union did little to instil trust in the masses who failed to understand his methods.

And when he scraped off monetary incentives for teachers and banned extra lessons, his subordinates were quick to call him Dofora  (daft one) which did not appear to extinguish the passion with which he went about his business.

However, Mavima said yesterday that there is no going back on the new curriculum and the national pledge.

Mavima said his ministry would soon carry out an assessment of the new curriculum with a view to improve the strategy of its implementation.

“We are going to do a process evaluation, see where we are going wrong and alter where it’s needed change course. We are not going to go back and say we don’t want to do Stem, we can’t go back and say we don’t want to promote entrepreneurship, promote critical thinking, patriotism.

“We can’t go back and say we don’t want to promote nationalism and national identity among our learners. We want learners who come out proud to be Zimbabwean. So all these issues are not a matter of discussion. What is matter of discussion is that is this syllabus offering exactly what we want? And these are matters we are going to evaluate before the end of the year.”

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has overturned its surprising decision to temporarily ban all police officers from registering to vote in next year’s elections — a move which had raised fears that thousands of its officers would fail to cast their ballots in the much-anticipated polls.

As exclusively revealed by the Daily News  last month,  the ZRP informed its strong force that they were temporarily not to register in the ongoing biometric voter registration (BVR) exercise and insisted that there should be another arrangement to allow police officers to vote following the recent outlawing of the special voting provision under which they voted in 2013.

Amendments to section 22A of the Electoral Act introduced a precise polling station-based voters’ roll in which one can only vote at one specific polling station — where one’s name appears; thereby effectively eliminating the special voting provision.

In a memorandum to its officers, the ZRP said they were free to register for the elections and would be allowed to vote at any polling station they would have been deployed to work at.

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“This memorandum serves to inform and direct that voter registration for officers and members should commence.

“In view of the fact that the deadline for (the second phase of) biometric registration (blitz) is 19 December 2017, commanders are therefore directed to ensure that all officers are registered by  December 5, 2017.

“When registering, officers and members should use affidavits which show that the area of residence is the station, post of base near the polling station from which they will be posted and cast their votes.

“The matter should be treated with the urgency it deserves,” ZRP said in a memorandum dated November 27.

However, some disgruntled police officers told the Daily News that the order would disadvantage them, especially when selecting preferred local authority and legislative candidates.

“Officers will be forced to vote in the constituency they are deployed, hence they will vote for candidates they do not know in a constituency they do not stay.

“This is supposed to be a matter of choice. You can’t participate in voting for an MP you don’t know, of what use is that?” queried one police officer who preferred anonymity for professional reasons.

In October, the ZRP chief staff officer in charge of operations — senior assistant commissioner Douglas Nyakutsikwa — informed all police officers that they were not allowed to register as voters until further notice.

“The memorandum serves to advise commanders that police officers should temporarily suspend their registration on the biometric voter registration (BVR) that is currently underway.

“Previously, police officers were privileged to vote through a special vote system that has since been repelled. The current scenario requires a prospective voter, including police officers, to register at places where they are going to cast their votes — which is prohibitive in terms of our deployments during the voting dates.

“Currently, solutions are being sought with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to address the anomaly,” Nyakutsikwa said in a memo dated October 24, 2017.

Amendments to section 22A of the Electoral Act outlawed special voting as it introduced a precise polling station-based voters’ roll in which one can only vote at one specific polling station.

Starting with next year’s elections, it is no longer possible to allow special voting as was the case in previous elections.

The special vote had traditionally been organised to allow civil servants and police officers to vote ahead of the general public, as they would be working on the actual days of polling.

In July 2013, and two weeks ahead of voting by the general public, the special vote was rocked by chaotic scenes which saw thousands of police officers and civil servants failing to vote.

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HARARE - The clampdown against vendors that was supposed to start yesterday under “Operation Restore Legacy” seemed to have failed to kick off as they continued parading their wares on pavements in the Central Business District (CBD).

Harare City Council(HCC), Zimbabwe Republic Police and the army had jointly warned vendors over the weekend that they should voluntarily move to designated sites or risk having their wares confiscated and pushcarts destroyed.

Former president Robert Mugabe had initiated the blitz that had cleared the streets after noticing the chaotic way vendors, pushcarts and mushika-shika had taken over the city centre. The police had also cleared the streets of money-changers.

But after the military takeover, the vendors and money-changers trooped back to the CBD.

When the Daily News moved around the CBD yesterday during the day, vendors were still illegally spreading their wares on the pavements in their numbers.

Curiously, there were no municipal or ZRP officers or members of the army in sight and no vehicles carrying the enforcement were in the city centre.

HCC spokesperson Michael Chideme could not confirm or deny that they had started the operation although on Sunday he had said the operation would begin yesterday.

Instead, he said they were trying to figure out a smooth relocation of vendors to their sites.

“Our aim is to make the relocation as smooth as possible. The informal sector has been educated on the need to relocate and resume their legally allocated trading spots,” he said.

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) director Samuel Wadzai told the Daily News that the move is irrational as it is contrary to the Constitution which obligates the State to promote private initiatives for self-reliance.

Wadzai said making vendors move away from the CBD will not solve the problem but will only make it worse as seen after the failed 2015 operation.

“The new Government of Zimbabwe and council should do an assessment in respect of the consequences on the livelihoods of people and their dependents the evictions will cause. As Viset, we will also engage the authorities with a view to finding a more human alternative to the intended evictions but in the event that such does not yield any positive results, we will approach the courts,” Wadzai said.

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HARARE – The two former army chiefs who landed Cabinet appointments last week have promised fireworks in President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s new government.

In what came as surprise appointments for many, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri of the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) and Zimbabwe National Army Major General Sibusiso Moyo were part of the 22-member Cabinet unveiled on Thursday by Mnangagwa.

Shiri is the new minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement while Moyo was appointed minister of Foreign Affairs.

Both generals played an instrumental role in the deposal of Mugabe in an operation launched by the military last month.

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In separate interviews after taking oath of office at State House yesterday, the former military top dogs said they would take radical departures in their respective portfolios from that of the previous administration overseen by ex-president, Robert Mugabe.

Shiri said he would introduce a fresh land audit to weed out incompetent farmers as a precursor to bringing stability in the agriculture sector.

He would also ensure farmers have security to their land to make the resource bankable.

“It is not going to be business as usual. I know there are some land disputes and we want to make sure that we end disputes on land,” said Shiri.

“We also have the land tenure issue. It has to be resolved and clearly defined. We are also going to have another land audit to establish who is on which land. All land has to be fully utilised,” he said.

Shiri also vowed to press on with the Command Agriculture programme, which he oversaw as chairperson of the implementation taskforce during his tenure as the AFZ boss.

“The programme will actually be increased. We realise that we contribute immensely towards the country’s GDP, wealth creation and foreign currency earnings. We will just have to live up to the expectation of the nation in that respect.

“There is a slight difference in that last year, I was leading the technical implementation team, but now I am the minister responsible for Command Agriculture and all other aspects to do with agriculture,” he said.

GDP is an acronym for Gross Domestic Product, which refers to the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.

Shiri’s views resonate with those of Mnangagwa who, during his swearing-in ceremony about two weeks ago, promised to reform the agriculture sector.

While Shiri was more open and spoke freely, Moyo appeared a little averse and gave a terse response when asked what would be his main objectives as Foreign Affairs minister.

Also appearing to read from the same script as Mnangagwa, who has promised to open Zimbabwe for business and re-engage with the Western countries from which Zimbabwe has been alienated for close to 20 years, Moyo simply said: “My thrust will be economic diplomacy and transitional diplomacy.”

When asked to clarify what he meant, he said: “It’s a win-win situation,” and refused to entertain further questions.

Meanwhile Shiri, who was Moyo’s senior in military rankings, said there was nothing wrong with former military chiefs participating in politics.

“Who said military people should never be politicians? When I was in the military, I was under the ministry of Defence which is part of government. I am a Zimbabwean, I have got every right to participate in the country’s politics,” he charged.

Mnangagwa has been under fire from critics, who questioned the inclusion of army generals in his Cabinet.

The fiercest criticism came from exiled former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo — an unapologetic Mnangagwa faultfinder — who claimed recently that Mnangagwa was a puppet president of the army.

In one of his tweets, Moyo said while Mnangagwa was Zimbabwe’s de jure (rightful) president, commander of the defence forces, Constantino Chiwenga was the de facto (not necessarily by legal right) president.

Chiwenga is the commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

A total of 22 newly-appointed Cabinet ministers took their oath of office before Mnangagwa, followed by 10 provincial affairs ministers, most of whom were retained from the Mugabe era.

A total of 11 deputy ministers were also sworn in.

Reinstated Prosecutor-General Ray Goba also took oath of office.

Goba was initially fired by Mugabe before he could be sworn in but was brought back by Mnangagwa last week after the High Court had given him reprieve.

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HARARE – Dynamos president Kenni Mubaiwa insists the club will not sit and watch eccentric midfielder Denver Mukamba unravel and sink into oblivion due to disciplinary issues.

Instead of using tough love to chuck out the midfielder on to the streets, Mubaiwa reckons Mukamba needs to be rehabilitated immediately so that he resurrects his career.

Mukamba hit the headlines in the just-ended season for all the wrong reasons with sources in the DeMbare camp revealing that head coach Lloyd Mutasa was now ready to show the 2012 Soccer Star of the Year the exit door.

Dynamos President Kenni Mubaiwa

The former Bidvest Wits player was now being seen as a bad influence on other players as he skipped training sessions without notifying the technical team and more worryingly, his performances were unconvincing while allegations of drug and alcohol abuse surfaced.

At one point, Mutasa was reduced to tears after an altercation with the midfielder, who used abusive language towards him in front of the entire DeMbare squad.

Mukamba subsequently missed training for a number of days before he finally apologised for his behaviour and was allowed to train with the rest of his teammates.

Last month, Mukamba and defender Lincoln Zvasiya went AWOL in the run-up to a crucial clash away to Ngezi Platinum Stars.

After a club hearing, Mukamba was pardoned while Zvasiya was shown the exit door.

But unsurprisingly, Mukamba’s wayward behaviour did not change as he missed training again towards the end of the season.

Many people thought that this would be the final straw and expected DeMbare to cut their ties with the midfielder, who signed a two-year deal in June.

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This season alone, Mutasa and the club bosses have pardoned Mukamba after many indiscretions and it seems they are not yet ready to give up on such a prodigious talent.

“We sat down as an executive following concerns raised by the team’s coaches about Mukamba’s behaviour. We felt the player needed all the help that he could get,” Mubaiwa told the Daily News yesterday.

“I think it is in his time of need that we cannot neglect him at this point in time. We need to give him all the support we can.”

The DeMbare boss believes with the right counselling and proper guidance, Mukamba can reclaim the former glory that made him a Warriors captain at one stage in his career.

“We are already looking for people who can give him proper counselling and rehabilitation. We cannot let him go on like this. We want to make him a better player,” Mubaiwa said.

“He has done a lot for the club and it is still our hope that he still has a lot to offer once his behaviour changes and is refocused again.”

After a shaky start largely due to an inexperienced side, DeMbare punched above their weight to gate-crash into the title race when many expected them to struggle.

In the end, the Glamour Boys finished the season in second place just two points behind eventual champions FC Platinum. 

Despite this, the Glamour Boys are now in danger of losing many of those players they unearthed this season over the non-payment of salaries and winning bonuses.

Most of the DeMbare players are owed at least winning bonuses from 15 games from the just-ended season.  

Mubaiwa said they are now working to settle the dues owed to their players in order to avert a potential disaster when Mutasa’s squad regroups for preseason training next year. 

“We are working towards settling everything we owe the players,” he said.

“Our coaches will give us an update on their plans for next season and we will take it from there.”

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BULAWAYO – Sensational South African socialite and dancer Zodwa Libram — popularly known as Zodwa Wabantu — is finally coming again as she appears at Club Connect after postponing her eagerly-awaited appearances on two occasions.

The controversial Zodwa was first due to appear at Club Connect, Harare Private Lounge and Club 263 in Mutare in September but pulled the plug on the shows after local actress Anne Nhira petitioned politicians to ban her from gracing the gigs.

This was supposed to be during the Harare International Carnival.

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Last month, the South African socialite cancelled her two appearances at Harare’s Private Lounge and Club Connect at the last minute.

She later said she was afraid of being arrested by deposed former president Robert Mugabe who had publicly slammed her for choosing not to wear underwear at the functions she graced.

Finally, Zodwa says she is ready to dazzle at both Club Connect and the Private Lounge in Harare after the fall of Mugabe.

Zodwa Wabantu

This time around, the dancer who has risen to stardom because of her racy dance moves and declaration that she does not like wearing underwear, will first appear in the capital tomorrow at the Private Lounge before flying to Bulawayo for her performance at Club Connect.

Despite her failure to come to Zimbabwe on two occasions, Zodwa’s fans cannot wait to have her either in Bulawayo or Harare.

“You know Zodwa just like her name tag Wabantu is for the people so let her come but we hope this time around she will make it.

“Imagine last time I was even willing to go to the Carnival in Harare to have a glimpse of her after I missed her first show here but she didn’t turn up,” said young Dj Stango.

Socialite, Buhle, told Southern News that she likes the atmosphere and the euphoria associated with the arrival of Zodwa.

“I am not a fan of Zodwa, but I just like the way she gets down to her business and how she has managed to gain fame and fortune through her unique trade. It’s a bit unique that’s why you see many people are really anxious to see her, including those who attended her show the last time she was here,” she said.

DJ T Bass, who is one of the organisers of Friday’s show, said they had put everything in place to avoid a last minute no-show by Zodwa.

“We really want to apologise to our fans for the failure by Zodwa to make it on two occasions.

“But to make sure that she comes this time, we have already sent someone to South Africa to bring her and the good thing is that this time it’s not us who put the dates. She did it herself, so definitely she will be here,” said Dj T Bass.

Zodwa is expected to arrive in Bulawayo from Harare on Friday morning.

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HARARE – The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA), which recently revoked the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ) licence it had given to Barbara Mzembi, says it has no plans for the 20 girls that had been selected by the pageant.

ZTA head of corporate affairs head, Sugar Chagonda, said his organisation has no intention to run the pageant.

“We have no interest as ZTA of running the pageant ourselves and as such we have no plans for those girls,” Chagonda told the Daily News.

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He said ZTA was currently in the process of identifying another organisation to take over the running of the pageant.

“Once we find someone who agrees with our terms and conditions on the MTZ licence, then the new holder will be free to run it the way he/she likes,” said Chagonda.

Barbara, wife to former Foreign minister Walter Mzembi, was appointed by ZTA as the patron and licence holder of the beauty pageant last year.

Barbara Mzembi

But in a surprise decision, the ZTA cancelled the licence it had given to Barbara just before the girls went into scheduled boot camp.

“The Authority has been forced to make this decision by circumstances well within your control.

“This resolution was also precipitated by the lack of professionalism in your conduct where you were inappropriately making reference to ZTA, who are the appointing authority,” ZTA chief executive Karikoga Kaseke said in a letter addressed to Barbara last month.

Efforts to get a comment from the former MTZ licence-holder were not successful yesterday.

But Spencer Manyemba, the former spokesperson for the pageant, said they halted everything soon after the cancellation of the licence.

“The selected 20 girls were about to go into boot camp ahead of the finals which were set for the Harare International Conference Centre on December 9,” was all he could say.

The girls affected by the pageant ban were Wendy Mature, Chido Mitchelle Dika, Monalisa Dube, Elsie Moyo, Kundai Makuvise, Rufaro Chikwanha, Natalie Price, Tanyaradzwa Munyoro, Thelma Farisai Machero, Sakhile Sibusisiso Dube, Nelia Marisa, Thumelo Nare, Ashley Gonde, Belinda Patts, Nomukosi Chiname, Mazvita Chakava, Marizane Murashiki, Tafadzwa Primrose Jaricha, Melissa Tanaka, and Munesu Munawa. 

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HARARE – Robert Mugabe Jnr, the second born of Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe, has launched a high-end clothing label xGx which he hopes will be competitive on the international scene.

The label has so far done black T-shirts for both men and women. The men’s T-shirts are worth $300 with those for women going for $250.

The 25-year-old, who is known for wild partying, did exactly that to celebrate the launch.

Robert Jnr shared pictures of his celebrations on his social media pages.

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On Instagram, where he goes by the moniker Gushungo, declared his optimism for the future.

“God bless the hustle #prosperity.... manifest dreams, keep it 100 percent, meditate, #xGx #Godwork,” he wrote in a thread on his Instagram page.

In response to a comment on one of his friend’s profile, Robert Jnr wrote “only the beginning.”

Mugabe’s son, who is known for his passion for basketball, added that he was taking personal orders. 

Chatunga Mugabe (left) and Robert Mugabe Jnr (right)

It seems fashion runs in their blood. His mother is a designer of sorts. The former first lady designed the Zanu PF fabric which was launched at the party’s annual conference in Masvingo last year.

The former first lady, who earned the nickname “Gucci Grace” because of her expensive fashion tastes, has always prided herself as a designer and fashionista, with her husband bragging that she even makes her own clothes.

In a People of the South interview with South African Dali Tambo, Mugabe refuted claims that Grace was a shopaholic.

“She doesn’t do that kind of shopping; she will buy fabrics and have them sown. She designs them herself. You can see they are quite decorated, she wants them very colourful,” Mugabe told Tambo in the interview.

The xGx clothing label is the second business venture that Robert Jnr has launched since his father resigned on November 21 following a military intervention spearheaded by General Constantino Chiwenga.

Last week, Robert Jnr and his brother Chatunga launched a promotions company called TripLife Entertainment at Harem Night Club in Johanesburg, South Africa.

The launch at Harem, which is touted as Africa’s best night club, featured award-winning South African hip-hop star Cassper Nyovest and American-Nigerian rapper Jidenna.

South Africa-based Zimbabwean dancehall artiste Buffalo Souljah also performed at the event.

A South African newspaper — The Citizen — confirmed the South African launch of TripLife Entertainment.

“For several weeks and without knowledge of the impending military takeover, Robert Jnr and Chatunga have been meticulously planning a lavish launch for their entertainment company, TripLife.

“The company focuses on event promotion, club launches and bringing international and local artists to Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“Mugabe’s sons have publicly announced their company by hosting a mini concert at the exclusive Harem Night Club in Sandton,” the paper said.

The two Mugabe boys are infamous for their wild partying.

Grace previously revealed that the two had become a nuisance who were engaging in all sorts of ills while they are studying in South Africa.

Grace had to go to South Africa to secure accommodation for the Mugabe boys after they had been evicted from their previous lodgings after a fracas.

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HARARE – Malaysia-based firm Engen Holdings (Engen) has agreed to sell shares in one of its subsidiaries to fuel retailer Vivo Energy in exchange for a stake and a “possible” cash element.

Upon completion of this transaction, nine new countries and over 300 Engen-branded service stations will be added to Vivo Energy’s network, taking Vivo Energy’s total presence to over 2 100 service stations, across 24 African markets.

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The new markets for Vivo Energy included in the transaction are DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Réunion, Zambia, Gabon, Rwanda, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi.

Engen’s Kenya operations — where Vivo Energy already operates — are also part of this transaction.

As part of the deal, Engen Holdings will retain its interest in Engen Petroleum Limited (the South Africa business and refinery) and Engen’s businesses in Mauritius, Botswana, Ghana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho, which are not part of this transaction.

“In our first six years our shareholders have invested to grow Vivo Energy, increasing our network from around 1 300 to over 1 800 service stations and adding over 400 new and refurbished shops and quick service restaurant offers,” Vivo Energy chief executive Christian Chammas said.

“Today’s agreement with Engen which, subject to regulatory approval, will add a number of new African markets to our business so that we can offer high quality products and services to significantly more customers,” Chammas added.

Yusa Hassan, Engen managing director and chief executive said the energy company was  excited to enter into this strategic undertaking with Vivo Energy, “which is clearly aligned with our growth aspirations in Africa.  We will seek to build on each other’s strengths from this collaboration for the benefit of our customers across the continent”.

Currently with over 1 800 service stations across 15 African markets Vivo Energy sources, distributes, markets and supplies Shell-branded fuels and lubricants to retail and commercial customers across the continent. 

Vivo Energy is jointly owned by the energy and commodities company Vitol and the Africa-focused private investment firm Helios Investment Partners.

Vitol chairperson and chief executive Ian Taylor said Africa is a very important part of its business and was committed to continue to invest across the continent.

“We are delighted to be entering this undertaking with Engen that will add 300 Engen service stations to Vivo Energy’s expanding footprint,” he said.

Tope Lawani, co-founder and managing partner of Helios Investment Partners, said: “This transaction underscores our commitment to Vivo Energy’s growth. It is consistent with our investment strategy of building market-leading, geographically diversified platform businesses across Africa.”

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