HARARE - Many know him as the face that invaded television screens on the morning of November 15, announcing Zimbabwe Defence Forces’ intervention in the country’s politics.

For once the popular ZBCTV news casters were nowhere to be seen and for those who had doubted that the army was now in control, reality started to sink in.

The problem with some of us is that we watch too many films and movies and, the script seemed familiar.

And his words still ring in our minds: “The President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, RG Mugabe and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed.

“We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice,” thundered Sibusiso Busi Moyo aka SB Moyo, then a major general in the army.

“As soon as we have accomplished our mission we expect that the situation will return to normalcy.”

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The next days that came was dominated by SB Moyo’s above televised decree as his announcement was repeated over and over again until it became gospel.

Clad in his military uniform, with his name SB Moyo written on one side and the army band on the other, Zimbabweans had seen him for the first time and everyone wondered who this serious looking man with such an authoritative voice was.

What the Daily News on Sunday can tell you today is that the man is a country music loving gentleman who supports Arsenal.

The man has traded his army uniform for suits, and they say he looks dapper in them too.

The Daily News on Sunday caught up with SB Moyo at the swearing-in of the new Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Priscilla Chigumba and squeezed in two questions amid interruptions and homage paying.

Asked who his favourite artiste was, he laughed it off and thought hard before replying.

“My music... I used to listen to Don Williams, well Don Williams is late. Locally, well I listen to Mtukudzi.”

Before the chat could finish, somebody else came and interrupted, but he had not forgotten that there was one little question he had not responded to.

“I play soccer, sometimes, and I support Arsenal.”

By now, many will know that he likes his ties red. He is also a man of a few words based on his first interview at State House after being sworn in as Foreign Affairs and International Trade minister.

“Win, win, economic transitional diplomacy,” is what he told journalists after they asked him what they should expect from him.

If he is not listening to Don Williams and playing soccer, he is busy mending and strengthening relationships with other countries, particularly western countries.

He has also been travelling with President Emmerson Mnangagwa to various forums to make Zimbabwe’s message clear enough to attract investment and trade.

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HARARE - Zimdancehall “boss” Winky D became a promoter’s dream on Friday night when he launched his Gombwe album, netting a cool $70 000 in first sales at an oversubscribed show at the Harare International Conference Centre.

Forget about the moola racked-in in ticket sales, in just one night, Winky D bagged $70 000 from two business tycoons — Genius Kadungure and Albert Ndabambi aka Chief Albert Gombwe.

Ginimbi — as Kadungure is affectionately known — first bid

$20 000 for the album but Chief Albert outbid him for $30 000. Not to be out done, “my guy” then offered a whopping $40 000 for the 12-track Oskid-produced album.

While Kandungure is well known for his love of the finer things in life and his expensive taste in cars, Chief Albert, who owns a private jet, is not such a popular figure.

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The filthy rich Ndabambi, who clearly is endowed with young money, is into business supplies and equipment.

Ginimbi yesterday said on Twitter about blowing $40 000 on the Winky D album: “I bought @winkydonline’s first copy of the album Gombwe, congratulations and happy birthday my guy, zvekuti ratengwa marii hazvina basa mari inotsvagwa imwe...I am trying to help our local superstars, making sure they get same support as other African artists. #Gombwe.”

The rich guys and their hangers-on came out to play as they had even booked tables in the very very important people (VVIP) section, drinking champagne from bottles in the company of Harare’s slay queens.

Most of the ladies in the VVIP enclosure opted for little black dresses that looked modern, comfortable, and economical in the amount of space they inhabited, but they also took some chances. And the strongest trend of the night, surprisingly, was that so many looks were covered from neck to above knees, quite sexy with their lovely lace panels, narrow sleeves, and tapered waistlines.

Ginimbi’s pal Mike Chimbombe was also in attendance.

Apart from the Ginimbi table that featured celebrities such as rap artiste Mudiwa Hood, there was also a Zimbabwe Tourism Authority table and others, where the rich smoked shisha ( a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through a bowl and hose or tube) and booze flowed freely.

Also in attandence was Arts and Recreation minister Kazembe Kazembe, who is also wealthy in his own regard, he, however, did not bid for the album but wished the 35-year-old Winky D a happy birthday.  Winky D was born on February 1, 1983.

If the challenge was to fill up HICC, Winky D did more than fill it up as people were packed like sardines just to see him perform. The HICC became too small.

Winky D proved to be the “Gafa”, the “Extra-terrestrial” and the “Gombwe” of Zimdancehall as he loves to call himself.

The crowd got ecstatic as he walked on stage looking all mysterious in a black Gothic outfit.

The cheering mob presented a nightmare for security personnel who had a torrid time doing crowd control to keep the VIP crowd safe.

Upstairs, where those who had bought the cheaper tickets had been directed to, it was packed to the rafters, and it was a hustle to move. All one could see were heads of people standing and no space to even walk. Even space at the staircase had been taken up by revellers.

Some of the people ended up standing on chairs, trying to fit in the little space that was available, while others trampled on others as they tried to make their way in and out of the main auditorium.

Winky D looked like an ancestral spirit, dressed in black attire, including a black walking stick and a weird-looking black hat.

The crowd sang “happy birthday” to the 35-year-old as soon as he got on stage, before he dished out his album.

The album features a collabo with gospel group Vabati Vajehova in a smash hit titled Ngirozi that has already become one of the favourites.

In another song, Winky D also sings about  the vanquished Zanu PF faction, with the lyrics “. . .  vatadza kukwidza makata G40...”

Another song mentions the first family “ndipei Simba kunge Bona, ndigamei ndisadonha.”

Among other acts which supported Winky D were Buffalo Souljah, who performed the duet Rugare which earned them  $2 500 after being voted the No 1 song on the Coca-Cola 2017 ZTV Top 50 Videos. Jah Signal was a crowd favourite as revellers responded to him better than other acts.

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HARARE - Debt-saddled former transport powerhouse Kukura Kurerwa (KK)’s empire continues to crumble after the Sheriff of the High Court gave notice that it will auction off the company’s Harare bus depot.

This comes after KK failed to service a long standing debt to BancABC, with the auction expected to recover funds owed to the pan-African financial services provider.

This comes as banks are increasingly selling off unpaid consumer debts to collection agencies, who are buying the liabilities for a pittance.

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Increasing numbers of people who have mortgage shortfalls and other debts are now being threatened with auctions.

The Sheriff of the High Court made notice of the said auction in a government gazette published on Friday.

Among KK’s properties that will go under the hammer is a 1 933 square metres piece of land in Avondale and   3 082 square metres stand in Willowvale in Harare.

The bus company will also lose property in Waterfalls and Mutare.

The auction will take place on February 9 at Raylton Sports Club at 10am.

The ongoing financial squeeze has seen a new a surge in foreclosures representing a new wave of distressed property seizures, with many banks no longer willing to grant struggling debtors forbearance.

Economists have urged banks to commit to responsible lending, under which financial institutions must assess if people will be able to repay their debt before they are advanced new loans or have their credit limit increased.

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HARARE - Britain has given Zimbabwe $7 million to help strengthen electoral processes, as the southern African country hurtles towards key mid-year elections.

Zimbabwe will hold general elections in four to five months, according to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who said the poll would be transparent.  

The money would be paid out through civil society organisations.

UK minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin unveiled the grant during a meeting with prominent civil society actors and election experts late last week.

Baldwin, who was on her first overseas visit in her new role as joint minister for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development (DfID), was in Zimbabwe from Thursday and left on Friday.

“I am pleased that my first overseas trip as minister has been to Zimbabwe. The historic events the country has experienced over the last few months have created an opportunity to strengthen UK-Zimbabwe relations as part of a wider process of international engagement,” Baldwin said.

Former president Robert Mugabe left office dramatically in November after 37 years of authoritarian rule. His departure followed a power struggle in which Mnangagwa was sacked as vice president to pave the way for Grace Mugabe, the then-first lady, to take up the presidency.

Mnangagwa fled the country but returned to a hero’s welcome where he was enthroned president after Mugabe was forced to resign following a military intervention. The new president has struck a conciliatory tone since he ascended the throne, and promised to stage free and fair poll in four to five months.

“The upcoming elections are a major milestone for the people of Zimbabwe,” Baldwin said. “When I met President Mnangagwa, I said my government welcomed his commitment to hold credible, peaceful, free and fair elections monitored by international observers.

“I have seen for myself that Zimbabwe is a country of enormous potential. With the right leadership, the right policy environment and a vibrant democracy and civil society, Zimbabwe can undergo the transformation it so richly deserves.”

During her two day visit, Baldwin met with Mnangagwa and Foreign Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo to discuss the Zimbabwean government’s vision for domestic transformation and international engagement through comprehensive political and economic reforms.

They discussed the importance of the elections later this year being peaceful, credible, free and fair. Baldwin also welcomed the president’s commitment to invite international observers from the EU and UN as well as Sadc and AU.

Baldwin also met with Finance and Economic Planning minister Patrick Chinamasa and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya to discuss the government’s plans for clearing debt and normalising relations with the international financial institutions.

Baldwin welcomed the government’s recommitment to the Lima plan - Zimbabwe’s commitment to clear arrears to creditors made on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank meeting in Lima, Peru in October 2015.

She said that the UK government would continue to support the government’s reform agenda.

Baldwin also welcomed government plans to attract more investment into agriculture through ensuring land tenure and compensation are tackled.

Zimbabwe and Britain have had frosty ties since 2000, with London, the European Union and United States, accusing former president Mugabe of rigging elections and human rights abuses. Government denied those accusations, alleging Britain was leading the West in punishing Zimbabwe over the land seizures.

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HARARE - The Zanu PF race for the party’s Chivi South National Assembly nomination has erupted into a five-candidate crossfire over who has the proper credentials, days before voters put their stamp on the campaign in the forthcoming primary elections.

Sitting Zanu PF MP Maphios Vutete faces four challengers — all top Masvingo businesspersons of note — who aim to topple him in an increasingly interesting forthcoming primary election.

Vutete, who is also a Central Intelligence Organisation operative, faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from former Chivi South MP and miner Irvine Dzingirai; businessman, property developer and Ngundu Rock Motel owner Jonathan Gapare; businesswoman Mai Hungoidza, and businessman, philanthropist and Chivi Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson Killer Zivhu, a protégé of provincial governor Josiah Hungwe, who announced his bid during a donation of 2 000 bags of cement to 50 schools at Shindi Primary School last Friday.

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Chivi South villagers can expect a close finish when they go to the primary polls to elect their Zanu PF candidate for the National Assembly seat.

While Vutete was unreachable for comment yesterday, the soft-spoken legislator has publicly announced plans to seek re-election, and will file paperwork when the party invites applications.

Dzingirai also told the Daily News that he will file to run for Chivi South legislative seat in the Zanu PF primary elections.

“I will put forward my candidacy. I am just waiting for the signal from my party,” the businessman said, adding he had been pressured by the constituency to stand.

Dzingirai, who is into mining and runs a private school Conical Tower Academy said Chivi South residents wanted him to become an MP again. He served as MP for the area before Vutete, and alleges the incumbent has failed to bring development to Chivi South.

Mai Hungoidza, who runs enterprises at Maringire Business Centre, told the Daily News that she was waiting for the ruling party to officially invite applications, and has stayed her campaign for now until prospective candidates are invited to forward their applications and curriculum vitaes.

According to Zanu PF rules, those intending to contest National Assembly elections must be fully-paid up members of the party, should have served as an office bearer at district level for at least five years, should be of good character and be loyal to the party.

Zivhu, who is into real estate, said he was ripe for Parliament after serving at the lower ranks as a councillor for a period spanning more than a decade under Chivi RDC and subsequently as president of Zimbabwe Local Government Association for years.

He said President Emmerson Mnangagwa is assured of a resounding victory in Chivi South and the district as a whole, touting his record on economic development through his Village ZimAsset project, philanthropy and peace.

He said his desire to stand as a candidate was driven by party members in the constituency and district at large.

“It will be a mere formality for the party to contest because we have already won before elections.

“We are a development-oriented party that a few would stand against Zanu PF. Here President Mnangagwa’s votes are secured and he will win resoundingly,” he said.

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HARARE - South Africa President Jacob Zuma will tomorrow appear in the High Court in Pretoria for his role in the closure of Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Tribunal after it ruled in favour of 78 white farmers fighting against the seizure of their land by former president Robert Mugabe’s government.

The case piles pressure on the under-fire Zuma who is facing a no-confidence vote scheduled for February 22 after Parliament speaker Baleka Mbete assented to a request from the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), though she refused to hold the vote before the president’s state of the nation address on February 8.

Although Zuma, 75, retains the support of a faction within the African National Congress (ANC), he no longer holds a top post since he was replaced as leader of the ruling party in December by Cyril Ramaphosa, the deputy president, 65, who has been lobbying the ANC’s national executive to force Zuma to resign.

Zuma has been dragged to court to answer charges that he backed the Zimbabwe government’s refusal to comply with the Sadc Tribunal’s 2008 ruling to return confiscated land or compensate white farmers for lost property during Mugabe's often violent land grabs.

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Subsequently, Zuma and his ANC government caused the closure of the regional human rights court based in Windhoek, Namibia, in 2012.

Since 2010, Zuma and Mugabe unfurled an effective lobbying campaign at several Sadc heads of State and government meetings, challenging the Tribunal’s capacity to hear individual applications.

The Sadc tribunal reported Zimbabwe, several times, to the 15-nation regional bloc for non-compliance with court orders, continued human rights abuses and violation of the Sadc Treaty, of which Zimbabwe was a signatory.

In August 2012, at a key Sadc heads of State and government meeting in Maputo, Zuma and Mugabe prevailed, and the Tribunal had its jurisdiction to hear individual cases terminated after deciding just 16 cases — 11 of them on Zimbabwe — in its short lifetime.

This effectively ended the Sadc Tribunal’s role as a human rights tribunal, confining it to resolving inter-State disputes under Sadc treaties.

The Tribunal had become “inconvenient” for the Sadc heads of State and government by issuing decisions that were too “independent”’ from their wishes.

The Law Society of South Africa then lodged an application in April 2015 to declare the actions of Zuma, as well as the South Africa minister of Justice, Michael Masutha, and the minister of International Relations and Co-operation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane unconstitutional in relation to the 2014 Sadc Protocol.

Under the original Protocol on the Sadc Tribunal, signed in August 2000 by the heads of State, both individual persons and companies could bring a case against a member state.

The only stipulation was that they must first exhaust all available local remedies, or have been unable to proceed through national courts.

The Protocol as it now stands, limits the jurisdiction of the Sadc Tribunal to disputes only between member states, thus denying the 277 million people living in the Sadc region access to justice when the courts in their own countries have failed to dispense justice.

Four dispossessed Zimbabwean commercial farmers and two Zimbabwean agricultural companies have also joined the case lodged by the Law Society of South Africa, which speaks nationally on behalf of the attorneys’ profession and various human rights groups.

The Zimbabwean litigants are represented by civil rights group AfriForum. The four Zimbabwean farmers and two Zimbabwean agricultural companies who successfully joined the case are Luke Tembani, Ben Freeth, Richard Etheredge and Chris Jarrett as well as Tengwe Estates (Pvt) Ltd and France Farm (Pvt) Ltd.

All these litigants successfully participated in various proceedings before the Sadc Tribunal.

Freeth, who with his late father-in-law, Mike Campbell, took Mugabe to the Sadc Tribunal over the illegal acquisition of Campbell’s Mount Carmel Farm in 2007 and won the landmark court case the following year, has become spokesperson for pressure group Sadc Tribunal Rights Watch.

Earlier in 2004, the now late national hero Nathan Shamuyarira, a former Cabinet minister, had claimed Mount Carmel.

“Despite winning our court cases, the closure of the Tribunal in 2012 resulted in our being unable to take the cases further,” said Freeth.

“The next step would have been to get taxable awards against the Zimbabwe government for their flagrant contempt of those judgments.”

The evicted white farmers have reportedly tabled a $9 billion compensation claim before new Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa, for assets expropriated during the chaotic land grab.

Since South Africa’s internationally supported and acclaimed transition to democracy nearly 24 years ago, the government under Zuma has come in for growing criticism for its failure to uphold human rights.

Of special concern is Zuma’s plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Zuma was last year forced to formally revoke his withdrawal from the ICC after the same High Court blocked the government’s bid to pull out of the Hague-based war crimes tribunal.

Pretoria announced its intention to leave in 2015 after the ICC criticised it for disregarding an order to arrest Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accused of genocide and war crimes when he visited South Africa. Bashir denies the accusations.

Tomorrow’s hearing in Pretoria will be one of the most important cases for the rights of Sadc citizens and will also provide South Africa with an opportunity to reclaim its former moral high ground.

Failure to do so will reflect very negatively both on Zuma and his government.

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HARARE - There have been mixed reactions to a coalition of the wounded between former President Robert Mugabe and his former deputy Joice Mujuru, with some analysts saying it will have zero political impact, while some said the former Vice President would reap immense benefits.

This comes as political dynamics in the country appeared to have taken an intriguing twist when it emerged that Mugabe and Mujuru had not only smoked a peace pipe but that the former had also pledged to support the latter who now leads the opposition National People’s  Party (NPP)  against President Emmerson Mnangagwa in this year’s general elections.

The meeting had raised hope that Mujuru and her NPP will harvest political capital by taking on board vanquished members of the Generation 40 cabal, a group of young Zanu PF members who had coalesced around Mugabe's 52-year-old wife, Grace.

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University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer Eldred Masunungure described the meeting as “an innocuous meeting between someone agonising over the treatment he gave to his former ally and his victim.”

“I don’t think there is anything beyond the fact that it is normal that at that age, one would want to make peace with those he wronged, especially if it has become apparent that the punishment he meted out on Mujuru was unfair,” Masunugure told the Daily News on Sunday.

“At that age, you would want to prepare yourself for the day your maker decides to take you and before that happens, one would want to make peace and I think that is what motivated the meeting of the two.

“At the moment, the G40 is dead and buried and I don’t think the option to work with Mujuru is a viable one. It would be improper for anyone to impute a political advantage or loss from that meeting. Mugabe only wanted to repair the damage he caused after realising that he had been misled by other ambitious leaders in Zanu PF,” he said.

The former allies-turned-foes’ meeting was the first time Mugabe had met an opposition leader since the expiry of the unity government in 2013 in which he shared power with Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC party  and its splinter faction then led by Arthur Mutambara.

Another political analyst Maxwell Saungweme differed, saying Mujuru would  reap immense benefits from the meeting with Mugabe on account of the fact that many in the opposition ranks who celebrated the military intervention that forced the 93-year-old despot to resign were a disappointed lot.

Saungweme said Zimbabweans had hoped that Mugabe’s police State would be replaced by a more democratic government only to realise that the new Mnangagwa administration is worse off.

“I think many in opposition who celebrated the coup now realise their folly of replacing Mugabe and his police state with Mnangagwa and a military junta,” Saungweme said.

“It’s bad to say Mugabe is better but a choice between a police state and military junta is very revealing.

“You will recall even in the negotiations during the coup, Mugabe kept asking the military why they wanted Mnangagwa not Mujuru if it was about seniority.

“People are slowly realising that Mugabe, apart from his longevity and dictatorship, he averted a bloody transition by not resisting the military coup, so I don't see Mujuru’s visit as anything that erodes her political capital.”

Saungweme said even Mnangagwa still regards Mugabe as his father and that if he were to request a meeting with Tsvangirai or any one of his three deputies, they would also oblige.

“So Mujuru loses nothing by being endorsed by Mugabe. Instead, she will court G40s who are even being courted by other opposition parties.”

It is understood a cross-section of opposition parties — among them the National People’s Party (NPP) and the MDC Alliance — are engaged in secret talks with banished members of the Generation 40 (G40) faction as they seek to work on their weaknesses and outsmart a resurgent Zanu PF at the forthcoming polls.

The MDC Alliance, which brings together seven opposition political parties, recently met in Bindura during a retreat and concluded that synergies should be built with G40 elements who are either in exile or face an uncertain future in Zanu PF to give Mnangagwa’s party a good run for its money.

And early last week, another meeting took place in Cape Town, South Africa, where G40 officials deliberated on sponsoring independent candidates and also forming partnerships in areas where the MDC Alliance or the NPP hold sway.

The talks are taking place either through emissaries for fear of blowing the cover on those G40 functionaries that are in hiding, or through informal channels — in the case of those Zanu PF members who are on their way out because of their perceived links with Mugabe.

Civil rights activist and analyst McDonald Lewanika suggesting that Mugabe’s ouster by the military last year and Mnangagwa’s subsequent rise to the presidency was not a popular decision among die-hard Zanu PF supporters below the provincial structures.

Lewanika warned that Mujuru would likely benefit from their disgruntlement saying “there is no doubt that in rural Zimbabwe many were left not only shocked but disturbed by the developments.”

“These are the people, who are Zanu PF members that the party must be wary of and which Mujuru can harvest from,” Lewanika said.

“Politics is not about permanent friendships or enemies, it is about interests and if Mujuru and G40 and Mugabe’s interests align, this can work to her favour, in the same way the Lacoste and G40 interests aligned leading to Mujuru’s demise.”

He, however, was quick to hazard that with the ruling party “highly regimented”, it will not work if Mugabe does not play an active role to support Mujuru to get political pickings from his strongholds.

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HARARE - Two Zanu PF youths have been arrested and appeared in court yesterday for their role in a violent altercation in Harare during a February 1 visit by National People’s Party (NPP) president Joice Mujuru, who was also injured in the attack.

The duo was remanded in custody to Monday.

Simbarashe Mudzengerere, 31, and Paul Chitsa, 46, were charged with public violence when they appeared before Mbare magistrate Isabel Nyoni.

They will be back in court tomorrow for their bail application.

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Prosecutor Kholisani Mangena alleged that on February 1, Mudzengerere and Chitsa connived with other Zanu PF youths who are still at large and hired a commuter omnibus armed with stones and bricks.

The court heard that they went to OK Supermarket at Machipisa where NPP was billed to hold a meeting dubbed “Meet the people campaign.”

The gang allegedly threw stones and bricks at NPP members, injuring several people and damaging several vehicles which were parked there.

It was alleged that NPP had to abort their meeting and drove from the scene towards Gazaland Shopping Centre, but Mudzengerere and his team allegedly continued pursuing them in a kombi, throwing stones at their vehicles.

The court heard that the gang continued pursuing the NPP members until they reached Glen Norah right up to Glen View 8, where Mudzengerere and his accomplices began assaulting people with clenched fists.

Some of the victims managed to escape and reported the matter at Machipisa and Glen Norah Police Stations.

It was further alleged that Mudzengerere and his gang went to Montana Products Butchery, which is owned by one of the complainants, and found it open for business.

The court heard that they blocked the entrance with bricks and iron bars, obstructing customers from entering or leaving the shop.

They allegedly demanded $500 from the owner, claiming that they had sold 200 sachets of dagga on his behalf the previous day.

Mudzengerere and Chitsa allegedly threatened to bomb the butchery but were restrained by police officers that were alerted by the owner, the court heard.

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HARARE - A company owned by the commander of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) lieutenant general Edzai Chimonyo has filed a $327 000 lawsuit against a firm that failed to meet its side of the bargain in a deal involving the sale of an immovable property.

According to papers filed at the High Court in an ongoing trial before justice Clement Phiri, a company owned by the ZNA boss, Yarnfield Enterprises (Private) Limited, is the applicant while Oasis Construction (Private) Limited and Thomas D’acquin Moufo are cited as respondents.

The court heard the commander’s company entered into a sale agreement with Oasis Construction in February 2012.

Oasis, according to court papers, sold Yarnfield an immovable property known as Stand 104 Vainona Township of Vainona measuring 5 565 square metres in Harare.

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“The material terms of the agreement of sale were as follows: that the full purchase price was in the sum of $1 050 000, that the property was being sold as an uncompleted dwelling with an obligation on the part of the defendants to complete the construction of the property within 90 days,” the court heard.

The parties to the transactions further agreed that Oasis Construction was to appoint a professional structural engineer to inspect the building and produce an inspection clearance to certify the required structural quality of the building.

It was also agreed that on completion of the outstanding works, Oasis would secure and deliver to Yarnfield an occupation certificate from the City of Harare as evidence of lawful completion of the construction in accordance with the local authority’s standards and regulations.

Yarnfield, which is represented by Itai Ndudzo, was then expected to take occupation of the building after paying the full purchase price, which the company claimed to have done in February 2013.

The property was later changed into Yarnfield’s name, but issues arose after Oasis failed to complete the outstanding construction work within 90 days, in breach of the agreement entered between the parties.

“The defendants have failed to give the plaintiff occupation of the property since the full payment of the purchase price…Notwithstanding the numerous demands made by the plaintiff to the defendants, to date, the defendants have failed, refused and or neglected to remedy their breach.

“The failure by the defendants to perform their obligations in terms of the agreement and to remedy their breach has caused the plaintiff to suffer damages in the following manner: plaintiff requires the sum of $197 733, 31 to complete the outstanding works to the standard envisaged by Clause 6:3 of the agreement.

“The plaintiff has not been able to occupy the property since February 22, 2013 when the full purchase price was paid thereby being prejudiced monthly income on the property in the sum of $3 000 being the value of occupation on the property,” the court heard.

Yarnfield, later amended its claims from $197 733, 31 to $327 695, 50 in January this year.

However, in response, Moufo, who is Oasis Construction’s managing director, said there were delays in the completion of the construction work, although the parties were continuously in touch.

“This continued with no problem, until on or about September 5, 2016, when the plaintiff took over occupation of the property, and barred the 1st defendant’s agent and workers from entering the property, saying that would complete the works on its own,” Moufo said, adding that it was Yarnfield’s personnel that made it impossible for them to complete the construction works.

He denied having breached the agreement, adding he was not liable for any damages as alleged.

The matter is yet to be finalised before the High Court.

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HARARE - Former State Security minister Didymus Mutasa is ready to rejoin the ruling Zanu PF party, which sacked him in 2014 for hobnobbing with former vice president Joice Mujuru.

The Daily News on Sunday can, however, report that Mutasa has put one condition for his return to a party he formed along with other nationalists in the 1960s: He wants President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he lavished with praises, to invite him back to the party.

“I am ready to rejoin Zanu PF. I have not talked to them directly but I have spoken to those who serve the country outside — things are moving very well, I don’t see things going bad,” he said.

It is unlikely that Mutasa’s wish would be granted.

Zanu PF was adamant this week that the 82-year-old politician is aware of the procedures that must be followed before readmission.

And as the party’s former secretary for administration before his sacking, Mutasa should know better.

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“He should follow the procedures that are required and he knows them,” quipped Simon Khaya Moyo, Zanu PF’s national spokesperson.

Zanu PF’s constitution requires any individual willing to return to the party to appeal to its central committee, which is its policy-making organ.

Thereafter, the appeal is taken to an ad hoc appeals committee of congress whose decisions shall be final.

Mutasa’s precondition could be based on the fact that the powers-that-be in Zanu PF are known for bending the rules when it suits them.

In re-admitting former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo into the party in 2013, Zanu PF took the unprecedented step of inviting the serial political flip-flopper to return to the party because it was desperate at the time to utilise his propaganda skills.

Ironically, it was Mutasa who facilitated Moyo’s return.

Moyo had been expelled from Zanu PF in 2005 for refusing to give way to a woman candidate for the Tsholotsho constituency after the ruling party had reserved the seat for a woman.

The sharp-tongued politician, who is now in self-imposed exile following former president Robert Mugabe’s ouster, had fallen victim to purges that targeted Zanu PF members who had organised an unsanctioned meeting in Tsholotsho to oppose the election of Mujuru as vice president.

Mutasa, the country’s first black Speaker of Parliament, was expelled from Zanu PF by Mugabe along with a host of other officials who were seen as loyal to Mujuru.

Upon receiving his marching orders, he teamed up with Rugare Gumbo, Dzikamai Mavhaire, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti and Mujuru to form the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF).

A few months after its formation, ZPF split because of irreconcilable differences between its founders.

Mutasa and Gumbo were among those who clung to the party’s name and offices while Mujuru moved on to form the National People’s Party.

Since leaving Zanu PF, Mutasa has been struggling to keep body and soul together.

His vehicles and even furniture were attached by authorities while he is battling to pay bills and send his children to school.

Since the fall of Mugabe, he has expressed willingness to rejoin Zanu PF.

He told the Daily News last year that he was closely monitoring Mnangagwa’s government to see if they can work together.

“There is need for honesty from the leadership. People are listening to what he (Mnangagwa) is saying very closely. People are still afraid of him, maybe because of the presence of the army which helped Mnangagwa ascend to the top. But they have to guarantee free and fair elections; let us be totally democratic. Whoever wins will have the people’s mandate. But as long as people are skeptical, that would be wrong — we are saying remove all that,” he said then.

“I have no doubt at all that if he does that he will win, because so far people are indicating that they like him, why would he rig? Let’s have a proper election where he is elected president. When that happens, I will submit myself to him and say let us sort out the Gukurahundi issue,” said Mutasa.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has previously said Mutasa was welcome to rejoin Zanu PF.

Charamba’s boss, Mnangagwa, has been sending positive signals to the outside world and the locals to help him in rebuilding the country.

Mnangagwa has been preaching the gospel of reengagement with estranged countries, anti-corruption and tolerance.

For the first time in close to two decades, Zimbabwe is now hogging the international limelight for the right reasons.

Under Mugabe’s reign, the country was blighted by controversy, human rights abuses and flagrant disregard for property rights.

Mnangagwa has discarded most of Mugabe’s policies.

Regarding the performance of Mnangagwa’s administration, Mutasa remarked:“So far so good, they have done extremely well”.

Mutasa said this was a tantalising development that could once again see Zimbabwe developing and matching other countries.

“Mugabe should have left the country a long time ago. We once told him before we were expelled that it was not about his wife but for the rest of the country. Sadly, we were part and parcel of his rule and what has happened cannot be reversed,” he said.

“It is hard to criticise Mugabe but there is a lesson we are all being taught by Emmerson that there is need to pave way for others. Emmerson deserves our thanks but the only question is; how did he manage to do it when someone failed for 37 years?” said Mutasa.

Mutasa may not be the only former Zanu PF member weighing their options.

Former Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo told the Daily News last week that he was ready to rejoin Zanu PF.

The only surviving member of the Dare ReChimurenga that directed the liberation war struggle, Gumbo attended Zanu PF’s extraordinary congress held in Harare last December.

“I attended the congress upon invitation by the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association but now we are waiting for the leadership to clarify certain things while we consult with others, including Mutasa,” Gumbo said.

“It must be noted that there are problems in Zanu PF some of which forced us out in the first place so we have said we want clarity on the direction and role we will play should we come back.

“It really depends on what clarification they will give on issues of unity, internal fights which is something that has always concerned us so it is under consideration because I have a constituency to consult,” he added.

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HARARE - The move by toppled despot Robert Mugabe to join hands with his former deputy Joice Mujuru to mount a presidential electoral challenge against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF has stirred strong emotions and widened fissures along regional lines, the Daily News can report.

See today's Daily News for more.

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HARARE - Scores of Harare residents rallied in the streets on Saturday, demanding the arrest of land barons, corrupt government officials and the alignment of laws to preserve wetlands.

This comes as construction activities on wetlands are giving rise to pollution of underground water.

In some parts of Harare, the water table has also dropped from 18 metres to 30 metres, making it increasingly difficult to access water.

Peeved by the continued destruction of wetlands, residents commemorated World Wetlands Day by demonstrating against the destruction of wetlands and petitioning Parliament to act on perpetrators.

The protesters sang and toyi-toyed, carrying placards emblazoned “No Future for Harare Without Wetlands”, “Corruption Destroys Wetlands” and “We Demand Urgent Harmonisation of Laws Governing Wetlands”.

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“The march is a way to register concern over the continued destruction of wetlands which are our water sources in Harare.

“Wetlands are very important in resolving challenges of water provision in Harare,” said Harare resident Happiness Salije.

In a petition handed to clerk of Parliament Kennedy Chokuda, the residents called on the National Assembly to establish institutions tasked with wetlands preservation responsibilities.

Reads part of the petitioners’ plea: “Compel the ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to complete the re-gazetting of Harare wetlands map, development of the national environment action plan and direct local authorities to develop environment friendly master plans.

“Call the Environment Management Agency (Ema), Upper Manyame sub-catchment council, Zimbabwe National Water Authority and the City of Harare to answer and account to Parliament on management of wetlands and catchments. Improve the Environmental Impact Assessment framework and Protection and Preservation of Wetlands in Harare.”

The petition was undersigned by Harare Wetlands Trust, Community Water Alliance, Combined Harare Residents Association, Conservation Society of Monavale, Norton Residents Alliance, Chitungwiza Residents and Ratepayers Association and Epworth Residents Development Association among others.

A cross section of Harare residents also blamed corruption and abuse of political power for rampant wetlands destruction.

Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection Regulations (SI) 7 of 2007 provides for the protection of wetlands, however, Ema has said their hands are tied when it comes to stopping any developments on these marshes.

The Institute of Water and Sanitation indicates that by 2025, there will be severe water scarcity in Zimbabwe.

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HARARE - Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife (ZimParks) has busted another wildlife poaching syndicate following the arrest of four suspected poachers.

Christopher Mushoni, Vhusa Lunga and Norman Dhlamini were apprehended at a police roadblock in possession of 28 tusks of ivory, weighing 129 kilogrammes.

They claimed to have been promised a hefty amount for the tusks, estimated at $96 000.

They implicated Laurence Edward Van Aswegen as the owner of the contraband.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said the poachers were taken into custody and have been charged with illegal possession of ivory and illegal trading.

They face lengthy prison sentences if convicted.

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“We want to thank the community that gave us a tip off that led to the arrest of these poachers.

“It is through teamwork and support from the communities that make our vision, mission and mandate a reality,” Farawo said, adding that police, border control, Zimbabwe Defence Forces and ZimParks’ rangers were working around the clock to stem poaching.

“As National Parks we are on high alert. We are increasing patrols as we ensure zero tolerance to poaching.

“We have also increased mobile patrols and awareness campaigns.

“We have mandate to protect these species. It’s also everyone’s responsibility to protect our wildlife.”

Farawo added that the figures for 2017, show reduced poaching incidents, more poacher arrests, and successful prison convictions and sentences than in previous years.

He, however, said there was need to guard against complacency adding “we need to sustain the momentum already achieved.”

Zimbabwe has witnessed an upsurge in the number of elephants being killed by poachers in national parks dotted around the country, with some of the suspects using cyanide poison.

Conservationists estimate that thousands of elephants a year are killed for their ivory, for markets in east Asia.

The extent of the killings is so great that experts have predicted elephant populations could go extinct in the coming years.

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe women’s cricket team is still hopeful of a series victory with another upset of Ireland in the third and final One Day International match at St George’s College this morning.

The locals put themselves under pressure after going down by 12 runs in the second ODI at Country Club on Saturday after failing to chase down 207 runs.

Zimbabwe had earlier eased to a comfortable seven-wicket win after Duckworth Lewis method in a rain-interrupted first match at the same venue but the visitors levelled the series with a confidence-boosting victory in the second match.

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Last year, Zimbabwe beat Ireland 2-1 in South Africa and they will be hoping for a repeat of that against their Irish counterparts.

Head coach Adam Chifo was a disappointed man following the defeat to the tourists but believes his side will be able to haul themselves out of the mess they put themselves in with an uninspiring display in the second match.

“We put ourselves in this position by giving away the last game so we are going to be careful on how we go about our business but we will try and maintain the pressure on Ireland like we have done in the last games,” Chifo told the Daily News yesterday.

“We failed to take advantage once we were in control, I don’t mean to disrespect Ireland but we are a better side in this encounter.”

Zimbabwe’s batting line-up will further be exposed with the absence of Marry-Anne Musonda who has returned to her South African university to sit for exams.

“Obviously it affects our batting plan but we have equally good players who can fill up that gap and contribute as much as Mary,” Chifo said.

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HARARE - The curtain came down at this year’s Mountain Bike Challenge held at Umfurudzi Park in Shamva yesterday with the organisers expressing satisfaction with one of the fast growing event on the sporting calendar.

The annual event which was hosted by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management  Authority (ZimParks) at their recreational facility at Umfurudzi Park and now in its fourth year attracted over 200 cyclists from across the country.

The three-day gruelling event which also attracted riders from across the boarders was also being used as a platform to qualify for regional games by the cyclists.

Acting manager at Umfurudzi Park Mukululi Ndlovu, who was also part of the organising committee lauded this year’s tournament saying: “We are happy with this year’s turnout, it was overwhelming. You will notice that it’s becoming one of the biggest cycling events on the calendar.

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“We are in our fourth year and its growing big especially in as far as sports tourism is concerned. We are expecting more participants next year. We are also hoping to attract a lot of participants from outside the country.

“There are quite a number of participants who have wanted to come this year but failed to make it due to reasons beyond our control.

“We, however, expect more participants next year.”

Riders battled it out in the 12,5km, 25km, 30km and 54km races.

The Mountain Bike Challenge is one of the major cycling events hosted by the ZimParks together with the Greater Mapungubwe meet, a place which borders Zimbabwe and Botswana, where cyclists ride across the two countries as well as South Africa.

ZimParks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo said : “We are hosting these events in most of our parks across the country to promote sports tourism as well as wildlife conservation.

“We want to ensure that we increase awareness to sustainably conserve our wildlife and ensure communities benefit from the same events.”

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe men’s cricket team continues with its preparations for next month’s 2019 ICC World Cup Qualifiers and this morning they date Afghanistan in a Twenty20 match in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.

The second match of the series will take place at the same venue tomorrow before the two sides lock horns in a five-match ODI series that starts on Friday and ends on February 19.

Zimbabwe will then hope to wind up their preparations at home before they host the 10-team World Cup Qualifiers tournament starting with a warm-up encounter against Ireland at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on February 27 and against Papua New Guinea on March 1.

The Qualifiers are scheduled to begin on March 4 with Zimbabwe’s opponent on the day yet to be announced.

Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer is confident the just- ended ODI tri-series in Bangladesh also involving Sri Lanka gave his side valuable lessons which will come in handy in this series against Afghanistan and the Qualifiers at large.

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“I thought in the tri-series in Bangladesh there were a lot of positives and you know it’s always good to get games against good opposition under challenging conditions, we showed glimpses of our team’s potential,” Cremer told the Daily News from UAE yesterday.

“As far as preparations are concerned it’s great for this series with our eye firmly fixed on the qualifiers. We learnt a lot in Bangladesh then we had three, four days in Dubai where we were training at the ICC Academy.

“The facilities were excellent as always so it’s really good for us. Now we are in Sharjah we have had a couple of days of training and getting used to the facilities and the conditions here.

“Our first T20 starts tomorrow (today) so will have one more session under lights gearing towards that T20 match which should be good.

“I know all the boys are looking forward to it and hopefully have a good series here and hopefully carry some good momentum into the qualifiers.”

While Cremer and crew are taking on Afghanistan, back home Mid West Rhinos all-rounder Prince Masvaure is leading the riot over Kenya with his Zim A side where a couple of players have raised their hands with both bat and ball including him as captain.

Zimbabwe A won the series 4-0 following yesterday’s eight-wicket victory at Harare Sports Club.

Mashonaland Eagles’ master-blaster Cephas Zhuwao has been in scintillating form with the bat scoring a century and two scores in the 40s region in all the three first wins against Kenya setting the much- needed platform for all the massacres.

“Yes we are pleased to see some good performances in the A side — makes selection very tough, but it’s good to have competition among the players,” Cremer added.

“There’ll be no time to have another series after this one as we arrive back in Zimbabwe on the 20th of February and we leave for Bulawayo on the 25th and first warm-up game before the qualifiers is on the 27th.”

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BULAWAYO - Kenneth Mhlophe is the new Bosso chairperson after he won the post unopposed in the club’s executive elections held at the Highlanders Club House yesterday.

Mhlophe stood unopposed after his other challenger Ernest Maphepha Sibanda was disqualified by the Highlanders board on allegations of defrauding the team when he was still the team manager many years ago.

Sibanda had initially collected his nomination papers but the board thought otherwise and he was told to step down from contesting.

This is the second time in a row that Sibanda has been disqualified from running for the top Bosso post.

In 2014, outgoing chairperson Peter Dube was also elected unopposed after Sibanda was barred from entering the race.

The two other posts of secretary-general and the committee member which were up for grabs at yesterday’s election went to Israel Moyo and Wisdom Mabhena respectively.

At least 180 club members cast their votes yesterday.

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In the secretary-general’s post, there were three contestants with Moyo garnering 104 votes while  Siphatho Ncube 60 votes and Nkululeko Ndlovu managed 15 votes. There was only one spoilt vote.

Moyo takes over from Emmert Ndlovu who did not stand for re-election due to other commitments.

For the committee member’s post, Mabhena retained his post with 87 votes while Silandulo Sibanda polled 39 votes, Peacot Dhlomo 35 votes and Charles Moyo 18 votes. There was one spoiled vote.

In his acceptance speech, Mhlophe pleaded for peace and unity of purpose amongst the Bosso family.

“This is not time for gloating, boasting nor is it desirable time to apportion the title of ‘the vanquished’ on those who received less votes than others,” he said.

“This is the time for reflecting and reconnecting with each and every member for we are and will be as strong as the weakest amongst us.

“Today, right now going forward, we must be united by the everlasting idea which supersedes all individual desires and preferences. “That idea is Highlanders Football club. It is this idea which must prevail, not individuals or competing interests.”

The new Highlanders boss also talked more about good corporate governance and condemned hooliganism.

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HARARE - Even the rains could not stop Zimbabwe from posting a thrilling 3-1 win over Turkey in a Davis Cup Euro/Africa Group II first round tie yesterday.

The hosts went into yesterday doubles match with a 2-0 lead following victories by Benjamin Lock and Takanyi Garanganga over Altug Celikbilek and Cem Ilkel respectively.

Lock won his match against the visitor’s second seed 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 while Garanganga did in straight sets 6-4, 7-5.

A win in the doubles match would have guaranteed Zimbabwe victory in the tie.

Lock and Garanganga were made to work to clinch the first set 7-5 against the Turkish pair of Tuna Altuna and Ilkel.

With the scores level at 2-2 in the second set, the Harare skies opened up forcing play to be stopped for over two hours.

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When play finally resumed, the two teams continued with their slugfest.

Zimbabwe finally got the breakthrough when they broke Altuna’s serve in the eighth game in the second set.

From there on, the home side had the momentum and the match was decided in extraordinary circumstances.

Lock’s serve on match point which was going to be called for a fault stuck Altuna’s standing left foot and the ball went out of play.

Both sets of players looked up to the chair umpire, who briefly hesitated to make a call before giving the point to Zimbabwe.

Turkey protested the decision but it did not change the decision and Zimbabwe took the set 6-3 and with that the tie.

In a feat of rage, Ilkel slammed his racket a few times on the court before throwing it away when the decision was made. Mehluli Sibanda then took on Sarp Agabigan in the fourth match which he lost 5-7, 4-6.

Lock was pleased with Zimbabwe’s performance throughout the tie.

“We are obviously so thrilled; it’s been an unbelievable weekend for us as a team. To beat a side that is well-established like Turkey, we are really happy,” he said.

“The last point was an extremely weird way to finish the tie. I’m not going to lie it’s bittersweet to finish like that. But if you take that point away, we had put ourselves in good positions to win and if you keep on doing that over time then some luck can go your way.

“The whole weekend we performed well; Takanyi was unbelievable and I was so impressed watching him play.”

Garanganga was glad Zimbabwe had got the victory in front of a very passionate home crowd.

“Sour at the end; the Turkish are not happy with that but overall we won and that’s a good thing,” he said.

“At least there is now less stress from everybody. I enjoyed my doubles match yesterday (Saturday). This is my first event for 2018 so it’s a good way to start the year. There is some good momentum and we will take it from there on.”

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HARARE - Sungura kingpin and Zimbabwe Red Cross Society humanitarian ambassador Alick Macheso’s Chegutu concert which was supposed to be held on Friday was cancelled due to outbreak of cholera in the farming town.

The concert which was pencilled for Gatsi Sports Bar was cancelled by the Civil Protection Unit fearing the disease might be fuelled by the presence of large crowds under one roof.

“We sat down as a committee and we resolved that it was in the best interest of the public if the show was cancelled. Macheso’s concert is not the first event to be cancelled, last week we cancelled ZCC church gathering because of the same reasons.

“We assess the number of people to attend the event against availability of ablution facilities at the area. We are just trying to contain the situation as much as possible. The number of cholera cases has since risen to 93,” Chegutu district administrator Tariro Tomu who doubles as Civil Protection Unit chairperson said.

The ZRCS humanitarian ambassador supported CPU decision saying the move was in the best interest of the public.

“As Orchestra Mberikwazvo band and ZRCS we have welcomed the decision because we put health first.

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“As ZRCS we are here to alleviate if not eradicate disasters such as disease outbreaks, hence there is no way we can be seen spreading the diseases,” Macheso said.

“The band and the joint owner shall fix another concert when we feel it is safe to do so.”

Meanwhile, Macheso spent the entire day (Friday) spreading awareness by giving out cholera reading material as well as talking to residents through road shows.

The Tafadzwa hit maker was preaching the gospel around personal hygiene including the importance of proper hand washing, use of toilets and encouraging pupils to consume clean and hot food among others.

Macheso brought business to standstill everywhere he passed through, leaving residents across demographic structures marvelling while others followed him for kilometres.

Apart from using artistes to fight cholera, Red Cross recently donated 300 buckets of water and 200 jerry cans to residents of Chegutu in their efforts to curb the disease which so far has claimed the lives of four people since last month.

The real source of cholera in Chegutu is not yet established as water wells were tested and it was found out that the wells were contaminated but not with cholera germs.

On January 19, the number of suspected cholera cases was 18 and the first case was that of an 80-year-old woman who died on January 8.

It was reported that three men subsequently died after getting in contact with the women’s body while preparing it for burial.

Member of Parliament for Chegutu West Dexter Nduna recently told the Daily News that investigations have established that the outbreak was due to the prevailing shortage of potable water in the town, which forced some residents to drill a hole into the main water pipeline, resulting in sewer from a bust pipe flowing into it.

He said: “The major reason for the outbreak has been scarcity of piped municipal water and dilapidated sewer pipes. Sewer has been trickling into the main water pipeline which was vandalised by some residents. Burst sewer pipes then discharged effluent into the water system which had been perforated by residents seeking potable, treated water”.

He added that unless the water situation was resolved, such outbreaks would continue to happen.

Chegutu requires 22 mega litres of water everyday but the municipality is only treating 12 mega litres.

Of that, only three mega litres is going into the homes while the rest is lost in transit due to the deplorable state of the pipes.

The current water system was meant to cater for just 4 000 people, but the town now is home to over 25 000 people.

Chegutu has been a cholera hotbed for a long time.

In 2009, there was a cholera outbreak in the town which claimed 30 lives.

The outbreak, came after the deadliest ever cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe which killed at least 6 000 people in 2008 across the country.

Chegutu was one of the worst affected areas.

Zimbabwe has been on high alert since the outbreak of cholera in Lusaka and has reactivated its emergency response teams to deal with any case that could arise.

The outbreak in Zambia has affected at least 3 000 people and claimed more than 70 lives so far.

The epidemic has spread to other southern African countries, especially Namibia and Malawi where it has killed eight and four people respectively.

The outbreak comes when government has stepped up cholera control in Kariba and Chirundu border towns to forestall transmissions from travellers coming in from Zambia.

There does not appear to be any relationship between the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe and that which broke out in Zambia as none of the affected people had travelled to the neighbouring country.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholera.

Cholera is an extremely virulent disease that can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea. It takes between 12 hours and five days for a person to show symptoms after ingesting contaminated food or water.

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HARARE - Celia Rukato, 27, was born in Zimbabwe but raised in South Africa. Her first career path was in finance and economics but her passion for fashion saw her relocating back to her country of birth in 2016 to start her brand Chjaa Enterprises.

From uniquely printed fabrics to custom clothes, Celia can make anything from fabric. Currently the soft-spoken woman is the brains behind the most popular fashion accessory at the moment the “Zim Rocks” scarves which the Zimbabwean delegation to Davos were wearing. Daily News reporter Helen Kadirire sat down with Rukato and discussed her business.

Q: Who is Celia?

A: I was born in Zimbabwe but moved to South Africa when I was four years after my father got a job there. I did my primary and high school there. My dad had actually suggested that I do actuarial science but I later went to University of Cape Town where I studied Finance Economics and graduated in 2012.

My mother did a lot of work travelling around the world so I was exposed to a lot of cultures and experiences. After university I did an internship in Nigeria at an asset management firm where I was a research analyst.

While there the fashion bug kept on picking at me and one day my boss told me about fashion courses that were being conducted at the weekends. I was always interested in fashion but was afraid to pursue it because of the traditional connotations associated with not being in a formal job.

Q: How did Chjaa come about?

A: We initially tried to do the fashion thing while also in our full-time jobs with my mother but noticed that it was not working, because we would get back home tired from work while that was the time we would have to start the business.

While I was working for Discovery in South Africa that is when I tried juggling my full-time job and the fashion back here but it wasn’t working well for me. I took the plunge to pursue my passion for fashion in 2016 when I moved back to Zimbabwe full-time. We do fabric printing and custom-made clothes. My idea was to look for a Zimbabwe dress or fabric…something that people would identify as authentically Zimbabwean. Currently, we have what we call the Chevron design which features small Zimbabwe bird designs on the fabric.

Q: How was it like entering into the fashion industry in Zimbabwe?

A: The industry can be a bit lonely because it was always about the need to compete with others. I didn’t have anyone guiding me on what to do. I accidentally stumbled upon Sylvia De’ Mode, who is the head of Zimbabwe Fashion Network.

She heard that we were experimenting with a Zimbabwean fabric and added us to their social media platform. In the last two years we have been learning how to overcome situations such as power cuts which have taught us to get a generator or even relocate some machines home so that we meet our deadlines. Sometimes it is unbelievable how we have managed to finish stock. At times we work throughout the night to meet deadlines, so the business can be very demanding.

Q: How receptive has the industry been for a company as young as Chjaa?

CR: We have had our challenges but we soldiered on. At least we have a dedicated staff compliment of seven, that is, two tailors, four printers and the factory supervisor who keeps things in check when I am meeting clients and cannot be around.

However, we have had an issue with the cash crisis like everyone else. Because of the cash shortage prices of fabrics cost four times more by December last year.

We have been really pushing towards local fabrics and get most of our materials from Kadoma Textiles, however, when the cash crisis started to hit and they were experiencing problems with some dyes, we just started getting whatever was available.

We are trying to be resourceful with whatever is available. Since we source locally we do not throw away our off-cuts, we use them as accents on our designs so that everything is utilised. We are not only into clothes but we also do accessories such as clutches.

The idea for a Zimbabwean dress is not set in stone as people prefer different things. The idea is still open for debate

Q: What inspired you to create the scarf?

A: My mother and I come up with the designs and we take them to graphic designers to bring life to the idea. We started that after noticing the South African cricket team always had something that would identify them with their country other than the blazer and kit.

The scarf was an experiment to see what would make people identify that someone is from Zimbabwe. It has been around since 2014 and was mostly at the departure shop at the airport.

We placed it there mostly because the shopkeeper said tourists wanted something that would remind them of Zimbabwe at the last minute.

We have different models of the scarf and the one the President was wearing was actually created some two years ago. The build-up to Davos was all over the news and we decided to use the opportunity.

We sent a couple of scarves to the ministry of Foreign Affairs and said they can give them out as souvenirs or whatever while there. We did not expect to have the whole delegation wearing the scarf.

Since the president wore the scarf, demand for it has been very high. Currently, they are all sold out. The scarves are for everyone, they are not high end or for the rich. We want to make them as accessible to people as possible.

Q: What is the future like for Chjaa?

A: We would love to even work with the sports teams of the country and even have ideas of how to re-work their kits. It would be really great if our teams wore some of our products. We have made some golf skirts and they were well received.

People may not appreciate fabric when it has not been turned into something but they will soon see how nice it is after it had been turned into a skirt, shirt or pair of trousers. We want to make something that has a meaning — something that tells a story. I have made a lot of sacrifices for this business but I do not regret being in the industry. People just need to understand that I come with the work.

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