HARARE - The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has postponed primary elections in Harare and Chitungwiza provinces to this coming weekend ostensibly to allow formally employed people to vote.

MDC national chairperson Morgen Komichi claimed yesterday that most people in Harare and in the nearly dormitory city of Chitungwiza go to work and, therefore, it would be unfair to conduct polls when they are busy at work.

He said: “Primary elections for Harare and Chitungwiza will be held this coming weekend, as you know that most of the people in these two provinces go to work and we want to allow everyone to vote but there are some wards which voted over the weekend”.

Observers, however, say the move was aimed at quelling tempers and dealing with logistical nightmares encountered by the party over the weekend.

Out of the party’s 12 provinces, the MDC has completed primary elections in eight provinces and is only left with four, namely: Manicaland, Masvingo, Harare and Chitungwiza.

In 72 constituencies out of the 120 where the MDC will field prospective lawmakers, candidates were selected through consensus.

Primary elections are being held in the remaining 48 constituencies.

The other constituencies have been reserved for the other partners in the MDC Alliance.

“…we are happy that the elections are progressing on well,” Komichi told the Daily News.

Asked about the incidences of violence witnessed in various constituencies around the country, the MDC national chairperson said those found guilty of sponsoring mayhem would be disqualified.

“We heard some few cases but we are managing it; we don’t encourage violence, we are going to disqualify anyone found guilty of sponsoring violence. We want to stop this behaviour,” he said.

On Saturday, the party held elections in Bulawayo province, where four constituencies out of a possible 12 were hived-off to the other alliance partners, leaving it with eight. In Bulawayo Central, for example, Nicky Brown was confirmed by consensus to represent the MDC.

The sitting Member of Parliament for the area, Dorcas Sibanda, went through as the party’s proportional representative MP.

In Njube, Gift Banda won the consensus vote, and so did James Sithole (Makokoba), Jack Banda (Luveve) and Kunashe Muchemwa (Bulawayo South).

Thabitha Khumalo, the sitting MP for Bulawayo East and acting MDC spokesperson, did not seek re-election after going through as a proportional representative MP.

Elections were, however, held for Magwegwe, Entumbane and Mpopoma.

Voting in these elections started around midday, without incident.

In Matabeleland South Province, the elections were held on Friday. Out of a total of 13 constituencies in Matabeleland South, six were to MDC Alliance partners, leaving Nelson Chamisa’s MDC-T party with seven.

Primary elections were held in only two constituencies, Umzingwane and Insiza North, which were won by Khumbulani Moyo and David Masuku, respectively.

In the other five constituencies, the candidates were selected through consensus.

The party will be represented in Bulilima East, Mangwe, Matobo South, Matobo North and Gwanda South by Solani Moyo, Vincent Sihlabo, Zanele Dube, Amos Ndlovu and Akim Moyo, respectively.

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HARARE - The MDC leadership has scrambled to save its relations with one of its long-serving MPs, Jessie Majome, who last week announced she would stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming elections after citing manipulated party guidelines in choosing candidates for its primary elections.

Yesterday, Majome who insisted her decision to run as an independent candidate for Harare West constituency did not mean she was quitting the MDC, met the party’s president Nelson Chamisa to try and resolve the problem.

Majome told the Daily News that she had been told that MDC national chairperson Morgen Komichi had been tasked to handle the issue.

“I had a meeting with him (Chamisa); he agreed that the party will address the gross irregularities that caused me to withdraw. I am encouraged that the party leadership engaged me,” Majome said.

She, however, expressed shock that Chamisa had not received a letter of complaint she had penned to the MDC leadership highlighting the irregularities.

“He said he did not see my letter which I wrote complaining about irregularities even …Komichi said he did not receive the letter but I delivered the letter to the secretary-general, this issue disappointed me and I was surprised by this.

“I am willing to listen to the party. I really care about this party. The president told me that my issue is now being handled by… Komichi,” said Majome.

Komichi, who is in charge of the MDC internal elections, yesterday said he was scheduled to meet Majome today.

“We are engaging her (Majome). We are making progress on the issue; we are making effort to try and mend a relationship that has gone sour. I am going   to meet her on behalf of the party,” said Komichi.

However, Majome complained that the MDC is taking time to address irregularities in its selection of candidates.

“There was chaos in Harare West over the weekend. There was violence and it’s so sad, the party must address this issue before it is too late,” Majome warned.

Majome recently announced that she was withdrawing from the MDC primary race where she was set to lock horns with microbiologist and former student leader Joana Mamombe.

The veteran lawyer and former Women’s Affairs deputy minister in the short-lived inclusive government, had served Harare West for 10 years on an MDC ticket, and is widely respected for the decent work and engagement with residents in the constituency.

Her sudden withdrawal from the party primaries triggered outrage from the Harare Westerners, as the residents call themselves, who suspect their adored MP was being set up for defeat by the leadership’s preferred candidate, Mamombe.

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HARARE - Former vice president Joice Mujuru is at loggerheads with her step-children over a Borrowdale house, which the offspring of the late retired general Solomon Mujuru want to have a share of.

This emerged at a family meeting held on Friday at the Master of High Court, where the issue of the sprawling property in the leafy Hogerty Hill in Harare took centre stage.

Mujuru, one of the most decorated army generals to emerge in Zimbabwe, died under mysterious circumstances in an inferno at his Beatrice farm, about 60 kilometres south of Harare, in August 2011.

An inquest held thereafter ruled out foul play in his death.

The widowed former vice president is seeking to retain sole ownership of number 95/96 Powlett Drive, Hogerty Hill in Harare, as the surviving spouse of the late general. But her step-children are claiming this is not her matrimonial home and therefore they also deserve a share of it.

During the meeting, Joice was accompanied by her lawyer, Joyce Sithole, while her late husband’s four children — Tendai, Maidei, Bianca and Takunda — were in the company of their lawyer, Proud Mutuso.

Also present was the executor, Stern Mufara.

It emerged during the meeting that the house had been placed for sale by the executor in a bid to pay off creditors namely: Guy Watson Smith, who is owed $1 490 000, Bindura Municipality, owed $333 000 and Agribank, owed $7 111.

Sithole told the meeting that the Hogerty Hill house was the couple’s matrimonial home and should therefore be retained to her client.

“After her (Joice) appointment as the country’s vice president, a family decision was made for her to move to a much bigger place which would suit her stature and accommodate reception of dignitaries, which saw her moving to number 4 Springfield Road, Chisipite, Harare in 2005,” she said.

She said the house was bought under the name of a company called Snapton Properties (Private) Limited from MacDonald Chapfika and 95/96 Powlett Drive was leased to tenants.

Sithole said her client only left the matrimonial house temporarily and was supposed to be handed over the property as the surviving spouse following the death of her husband.

“She has the right to go back to the house,” Sithole said.

She gave an example of the former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko, who spent a long time staying at the Rainbow Towers in Harare before he moved out to live in a government house.

She said had Mphoko died while they were staying at Rainbow Towers, his wife had the right to retain their Bulawayo house as the surviving spouse.

She went further and also gave an example of the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s scenario, where he moved to a State-owned house during the government of national unity, when he was prime minister.

Sithole said, the surviving spouse has the right to retain Tsvangirai’s Strathaven home, because it is the matrimonial house.

However, Mutuso, said the issue of the matrimonial home seemed to be an afterthought on Joice’s part, claiming she never raised the issue during the first phases, further questioning if the Chisipite home was also going to be treated as a matrimonial home.

Solomon’s child Tendai, said in terms of the law, a surviving spouse takes the home that she would be staying in at the time of her husband’s death.

Tendai said instead, during the time of Solomon’s death, Joice was staying at number 15 Coghlan Road, Chisipite, Harare and only moved to number 4 Springfield Road after Solomon’s death.

He also demanded cash flow statements on amounts paid in rentals from Solomon’s properties and a list of the movable and immovable assets.

While the Borrowdale house is now likely to be sold to pay off the creditors, Mufara said it was not his intention to have the property sold but to wind up the estate.

He said if the family was to come up with a distribution plan to the beneficiaries and the creditors, he would be glad.

He said if there were other means to pay off the creditors, he will suspend the sale of the house.

Sithole said Joice, had since spoken to Smith about the retirement of his debt, adding that the other creditors could be paid off as well.

But Mufara said he wanted confirmation from Smith on the agreement entered between the parties on how the $1,4 million was going to be paid off.

The next meeting will now be held today, to iron out issues regarding the estate.

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission (Zacc), in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), have issued a warrant of apprehension against self-exiled former Higher and Tertiary Education minister  Jonathan Moyo (pictured), who is facing 14 counts of fraud.

The warrant has since been handed to the International Police (Interpol), according to Zacc officials.

Moyo was supposed to appear before the High Court yesterday for the commencement of trial, along with his former personal assistant, Shepherd Honzeri, Godfrey Gandawa (ex-deputy minister in the ministry) and Nicholas Mapute (principal director of finance for the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef).

Moyo and his team are accused of siphoning over $450 000 from Zimdef through unorthodox means.

State withdrew charges against one of the suspects, Fredrick Mandizvidza, who has since been turned into a witness.

Prosecutor, Clemence Chimbari, said Moyo could not be located to be served with indicts, forcing him to successfully apply for separation of trial.

“We are making an application for separation of trial. Accused number two, ... Moyo, could not be located to be served with indicts. He will be tried when he is located,” Chimbari said.

Officials from Zacc confirmed to the Daily News yesterday that a warrant for Moyo’s apprehension had indeed been issued, without giving specific dates on when this was done.

Moyo, who was a major player in a Zanu PF faction known as the Generation 40 (G40) left the country in an huff in November last year following an army intervention that resulted in former president Robert Mugabe’s resignation.

He left the country as graft charges were being preferred against him.

Moyo, along with his co-accused, allegedly committed several offences between November and December 2015.

According to court papers, Gandawa is alleged to have failed or neglected to ensure that the National Manpower Advisory Council (NAMACO) was appointed to advise the Zimdef trustees’ on the use of government funds.

Prosecutors said Moyo was also responsible for these flaws because, as a Zimdef trustee, he was mandated to issue directives pertaining to the use of the funds on the advice of NAMACO.

It is the State’s case that upon his appointment as minister responsible for Higher and Tertiary Education, he failed or neglected to appoint members of the council as required by law.

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This is the basis upon which the State claims Gandawa and Moyo failed in their duties in furtherance of a criminal plan.

According to court papers, Gandawa is alleged to have instructed Richard Gotora to originate a memorandum to Mandizvidza purporting that his ministry required funding to purchase three dimension printers for eight polytechnics and two industrial training colleges.

The former deputy minister is alleged to have single-handedly recommended and approved the memorandum on the same day leading to the release of $95 000, which was later paid to Wisebone Trading (Private) Limited, owned by Walter Chasara, who, according to court papers is Gandawa’s uncle.

It was further alleged that Gandawa then instructed Chasara to transfer the $95 000 into his firm, called Fuzzy Technologies (Private) Limited, where he later made withdrawals.

During the same period, Moyo is said to have instructed Honzeri to source quotations after which he bought 173 bicycles distributed in his Tsholotsho North constituency where he was a Member of Parliament.

It is alleged that no computers were purchased and delivered to the polytechnics.

In December 2015, the court heard that a plan was hatched, in which Honzeri originated a memorandum requesting $107 525 funding for the Presidential computerisation programme, which was subsequently sanctioned by Moyo on December 18, 2015.

It is the State’s case that the quotations for the computers were sourced by Gandawa from his company, Fuzzy Technologies and from Wisebone Trading and two other companies owned by Chasara — Archmate and Great Exploits (Private) Limited.

They reportedly went on to misrepresent to Zimdef’s accountant, Upenyu Gweme, that the ministry had requested for funding to purchase 170 computers.

Later, the money was released, part of which was used by Moyo to buy tri-cycles which were distributed to chiefs and headmen in his Tsholotsho North Constituency.

It is further alleged that Gandawa failed to disclose his personal interest in Fuzzy Technologies, a company he co-directs with his daughter, Clarence Erene.

Zimdef is said to have been prejudiced of a total of over $450 000, following these activities.

The trial continues on Thursday and the State is expected to call at least 18 witnesses.

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BULAWAYO - Makokoba legislator Tshinga Dube has dared opposition parties vowing to contest in the constituency saying he was taking no prisoners as he was almost hundred percent confident of retaining the seat.

The MDC Alliance, which is likely to pose a serious threat to the former War Veterans minister, has already opted for James Sithole — currently a seating councillor — to represent them for the constituency’s parliamentary election.

Also not to be overlooked is the Joice Mujuru-led People’s Rainbow Coalition (PRC) which has chosen former senator Matson Hlalo for the same constituency.

What, however, makes Makokoba constituency — which houses one of the oldest suburbs in the city — a more interesting and centre for attention is how Dube has had the constituency at the core of his heart and soul, so much that twice, he suffered major heartbreaks after losing a contest for the seat.

Firstly, it was in 2008, at the peak of Zimbabwe’s economic comatose and he had another attempt in 2013.

The loss was too much for him that at one point, he wanted to quit.

However, as fate would have it, after the MDC recalled its rebel legislators in 2015, Dube felt it was time to give it another try during the by-elections which were boycotted by the opposition, citing electoral irregularities.

Luckily, the gods smiled on him as he finally got it right.

In all these years, Dube has done something that has been received with mixed feelings across the constituency, including financial assistance.

This ranges from bringing foreign musicians to perform, foodstuff donations, sponsoring sporting activities and providing free health services to the community among others.

His opponents have seen it as clear vote-buying but he has always been called to defend himself.

“I have been giving to the people of Makokoba, even those outside the constituency, way before I became a Member of Parliament.

“This is how I was brought up to give and give as long I have the capacity to do so. Besides, I don’t segregate anyone on political grounds, I just give everyone,” Dube told church leaders after donating tonnes of maize to distribute to the needy over the weekend.

“Amidst all this, and with the election date yet to be announced, Dube feels he already has an upper hand ahead of everybody in the fight for the constituency.
“I am almost 99 percent confident of winning the seat,” he said.

Asked where he derives the confidence from, Dube said: “I trust the people. When you work well with people, we should learn to trust each other.”

He also explained the reason why he had found it tough to earn the ticket to Parliament in the past.

“It was simply because the people in the constituency had not ‘understood us’”.

“The MDC has been in charge here for about 15 years but they have done nothing, so the people have now realised that this is false belief.

“They now know that we are the game-changer in town.”

Observers are of the view that Dube is likely to bank on the vote dividing by various opposition parties who have characterised the political arena lately.

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Regional parties fight for Byo

BULAWAYO - The country’s second largest city has since the turn of the millennium been regarded as an MDC stronghold in the process leaving the ruling Zanu PF resorting to scrounging for the rural vote.

Not even the 2005 MDC split could kill the opposition’s power base in Bulawayo, as the former labour-based movement led by the late ex-trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai went on to retain seats in the city.

While the party has had several splits over the years along the arduous journey to rule this country, its stronghold in the city has remained intact. And with the formation of the MDC Alliance, analysts say the coalition of opposition parties stands a chance of running away with parliamentary seats.

However, it is the latest split which has seen former deputy prime minister Thokozani Khupe breaking away from the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC that has left some wondering if the jinx will finally be broken.

Khupe, who for the past years had regarded herself as the queen of Matabeleland, seems to have a lot of work to do in order to rewrite history and become the first breakaway faction to take away the party’s dominance of the city.

Not to be ignored also is the advent of what are now termed regional parties who have also threatened to run away with the MDC vote in this part of the world.

Talk of the Lovemore Moyo-led United Movement for Devolution, Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) led by Mqondisi Moyo and Alliance for National Salvation (Ansa) led by Moses Mzila Ndlovu.

While their bid to form a regional coalition pact flopped recently, they have separately been on the ground canvassing for regional support mostly using such tactics as marginalisation, devolution and tribal imbalances among others.

Zanu PF currently has six seats in the city which they won during by-elections after major opposition parties boycotted as part of their “no reform, no election” push.

History has, however, shown that the ruling party has its traditional voters who are usually never swayed by any grain of persuasion unless something major like the intra-factional politics has happened, like in the case of disgruntled Generation 40 (G40) members who have since formed the National Patriotic Front (NPF) party after being ruthlessly hounded out of the ruling Zanu PF.

Analysts who spoke to the Southern News this week here seemed to agree that Chamisa might stand a big chance ahead of the regional parties for a number of reasons.

Political analyst Gifford Sibanda felt that voters had a tendency of going for parties that are perceived to be big.

“History has shown that voters read less on where the candidates come from but tend to choose on those that seem to be having numbers...” he said.

“These (regional) parties may tap into the discontent by the general populace and civic society group that MDC Alliance and Zanu PF have not been able to provide candidates that reflect the tribal location of the constituencies. If this discontent counts for anything in terms of votes, they may stand a chance (but) only if they unite.”

Another political analyst Dumisani Nkomo said while the regional parties may possibly have an impact, their major chance could have been through a united regional pact.

“There is some wisdom on the part of regional parties in focusing on local government and Parliament elections since these formations are interest-based and have geo-specific issues which they want addressed; for example devolution and marginalisation,” he said.

“They need to form a formidable pact regionally and nationally to have an impact. They could win several seats here and there but the major challenge is that electoral behaviour in the past has tilted towards bigger parties at the expense of smaller parties or quality candidates,” Nkomo said.

He, however, said Chamisa had a chance of winning the election, particularly through what he termed “new generation of voters”.

Thando Gwinji, another political analyst, said politics anywhere was a game of numbers, but it was unfortunate that while the regional parties intended to make an impact, they didn’t have the numbers on their side.

“Political parties in Matabeleland and particularly in Bulawayo are well aware that politics is a game of numbers and are also aware that they do not have numbers.

They are too comfortable in that space to an extent that even their policies dwell on Matabeleland-specific issues and have nothing to offer the whole of Zimbabwe,” said Gwinji.

She added: “The Welshman Ncube-led MDC, Zapu and MRP have been around for quite some time pushing the same issues but have failed to have a coalition or proper working relationship that will help them have a joint voice in articulating issues of all generations.”

“They are selling themselves short by targeting a few seats through a few well-known individuals, and when the president of a whole party is running for MP then there is definitely something wrong with the ideology of the party.

“It certainly means they cannot plant their ideas in Zimbabweans and gun for support, how then will their policies be heard in Parliament by the same Zimbabweans,” Gwinji, who is also the Youth for Innovation Trust director, explained.

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We’re not loved in Byo : Cool Crooners

BULAWAYO - When Abel Sithole — one of the founders of the renowned jazz outfit Cool Crooners passed on last July — many thought it was the end of the lengthy journey that had been traversed by the group in the cut-throat music industry.

While many notable groups in the country have found it hard to stay afloat after their leaders had fallen, it’s not the same blue story with the band that has been in existence for more than two decades.

Band leader George Salimu, alongside his two colleagues Lucky Thodhlana and Timothy Mkandla, have carried on with the work exhibiting that talent that has made them a household name in the country and beyond borders.

Southern News caught up with the Bhulugwe Lami hit makers who bared their souls on their life almost a year after one of their own left them.

According to Salimu, no one can fill the gap left by Sithole as they have continued to perform at live shows a man short.

“It has never been easy to lose one of your experienced members and founder of the band,” Salimu says.

“But all the same, life has to go on, we have a duty to entertain the nation and we are doing just that. We are still three and we have not yet recruited anyone to cover the gap. You know, anything can happen so we have to find someone who can be there in case one of us falls sick. We should have a fall-back plan as a band,” he said.

Before Sithole passed on, one of his major objections was lack of support for their music by local people.

However, Salimu, while admitting that their music was nowhere near being appreciated by locals, lays the blame on music promoters whom he says have failed to come to the party.

“Here in Bulawayo, we have people who like jazz but the people who are responsible for promoting music are not available. Established as we are, we rarely perform here in Bulawayo despite that the market for jazz music is there,” he said.

Emphasising the biblical reference that a prophet is not honoured in his homeland, Salimu sadly said while they have made Harare their second home, they last performed in their home city over a year ago.

“We can’t talk of performance here, Bulawayo to us is now more of our bedrooms where we come to sleep and go to work elsewhere. The last time we performed here was a year ago during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) and that was after Oliver Mtukudzi had invited us to be part of his show there,” lamented Salimu.

He added: “We go to Harare almost every month because there are people who understand what jazz music is all about and people there like our music. There are people who know that an artist has to be paid after doing his work. The good thing is that we also have Mtukudzi who normally hooks us up during his many shows because he knows our worth music-wise.”

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BAAs set City of Kings abuzz

BULAWAYO - The second edition of the Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, characterised by glitz and glamour, is in the offing with organisers having set the city abuzz with their irresistible marketing and publicity stunts.

The awards ceremony will be held this Saturday at the Large City Hall.

Established to honour the amazing talent from Zimbabwe’s “cradle of culture”, the awards have created a buzz in the local arts community who felt they were marginalised by other national awards.

This year, the awards received a major financial boost after securing  $20 000 in sponsorship from the United Refineries Limited (URL) Roil Cooking Oil brand hence adopting term ROILBAA.

One of the event organisers, Raisedon Baya, was upbeat about the response they have received ahead of the ceremony where 44 lucky winners will be rewarded for their efforts in the arts industry.

“Great response so far,” quipped Baya.

“Over five corporates have chipped in with the City of Bulawayo supporting like last year with the venue as well as the special award. We have all nominees excited, talking and tweeting all over the place. We are expecting people to dress up like last year,” he said.

The award-winning playwright — who is also director of Intwasa Arts Festival — said while the inaugural awards ceremony held last year received all praises, this time around they have upped the game with remarkable improvements.

“The difference will be in the flow of the day. Remember this year we added a nominees’ dinner happening on Thursday 24. Then our red carpet is an event on its own from 4pm to 6pm, then the awards ceremony where we will be dishing out different acts. The vibe will definitely be different from last year,” he said.

Departing from the culture of inviting guest speakers, Baya said: “Our important guests are our nominees and partners.”

Baya further said about the event: “We want the event to be more of an experience for everyone. We want those who don’t come to the event to feel they missed something really profound....”

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BULAWAYO - The cash-strapped government has said money collected by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara) was not enough to rehabilitate the bad road network across the country.

This also comes after government revealed that they are still in the process of servicing its $206 million loan sourced from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) about seven years ago.

The funds, which were secured during the Government of National Unity period, were used for the rehabilitation of the 820 kilometres highway from Plumtree-Bulawayo-Harare-Mutare.

Transport minister Joram Gumbo told Southern News that before any funds disbursement could be made to the rural and urban local authorities for road infrastructure development, servicing the loan was a priority.

“Remember that what Zinara collects is not enough to rehabilitate or construct all the roads in the country because basically what Zinara has to first look at is the repayment of the loan that was given to Zimbabwe by DBSA to construct the Plumtree-Bulawayo-Gweru and Harare-Mutare roads,” Gumbo said.

“So, that’s the first port of call and what remains is then what is allocated to the four road authorities,” he said.

Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa two years ago admitted that the repayment was proving to be heavy, forcing government to negotiate for a softer stance in repayment.
This was after Zinara had only managed to pay $21 million to DBSA in the first half of the total collection of $74,6 million. Zinara was established in terms of the Road Act (Chapter 13:18) in 2002 with the aim of enhancing the road network system throughout the country.

Its core mandate is that of fixing road user charges and collecting such charges or any other revenue for the road fund, in consultations with the ministry of Transport.

After collecting revenue, the parastatal is supposed to remit funds to local authorities who then ensure that roads around their areas are maintained. Local authorities have the primary responsibility of repairing roads in terms of the Urban Councils’ Act (Chapter 29.15), Second Schedule section 198, paragraph 19 (1).

Zinara collects in excess of $5,5 million per month from the 26 tollgates dotted around the country and an additional $130 million annually from road access fees, vehicle licensing, transit fees and the fuel levy among other revenue streams.

Meanwhile, as most of the roads have continued to deteriorate due to lack of funds, Gumbo said: “We have noted that some of the rural district councils for various reasons have not been able to utilise the monies that have been allocated to them.”

He added: “We have observed that some of the road authorities do not have qualified engineers and qualified staff, so that becomes problem number one but we have encouraged that these road authorities must try and work together with other road authorities who might have engineers because at the end of the day, all the roads belong to the ministry of Transport.”

The Transport minister also added that his ministry has since read the riot act to the local authorities who had a tendency of abusing allocated funds.

“There are instances where some rural district councils have abused their funds by paying for their salaries and allowances, those have been cautioned and I want to believe that it won’t happen again,” he said

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HARARE - Manyame residents are resisting a directive from their rural district council to pay $1 000 to regularise the stands they bought from a co-operative founded by alleged land baron, Frederick Mabamba.

The residents told the Daily News that Manyame Rural District Council (RDC) has issued letters of demand for each stand owner to pay $1 000 as fees for servicing the area.

Mabamba formed United We Stand Housing Cooperative and illegally sold the stands to desperate home seekers in the area.

“Manyame RDC has asked us to each pay $1 000 as a penalty fee for regularising our stands, however, we cannot afford the steep fee considering that we already paid for the stands when we purchased them.

“We have since asked to have lawyers to engage them on the justification and breakdown of such a huge penalty,” one of the residents told the Daily News.

Chitungwiza and Manyame Residents Association (Camera) director Marvellous Kumalo said they were now pursuing the court route after initial attempts to engage the MRDC over the fees yielded nothing positive.

“It is our sustained argument that the $1 000 penalty fee per household is astronomical, unjustified and above all a form of punishment in this failing economy as most beneficiaries of these houses are not able to access such an amount. We therefore call upon the local authority to consider reviewing this figure downwards,” Kumalo said.

The houses being identified for regularisation are on portions of land in Kuora, Masona, Nechiva and Chitanda villages in Seke and all land stretching from the Zesa substation towards the Chirasavana Road.

In 2015 the stands were scheduled for demolition by Manyame RDC as most of them were considered health hazards.

Manyame RDC argued that digging of wells and construction of pit latrines as well as subdivision of specified land into residential stands prompted the demolition order.

Chitungwiza Town Council and Manyame RDC with the assistance of the police were in 2014 asked to arrest perpetrators of illegal land invasions, subdivision, allocation and sale and to demolish more than 14 000 houses in the areas, but with little or no effect.

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HARARE - Government's surprise decision to suspend issuing licences to prospective cannabis (mbanje) growers for research and medicinal purposes — less than a month after approving its farming — has sparked outrage from Zimbabweans who said the decision betrays incompetence.

Deputy minister of Finance Terrence Mukupe announced at the weekend the suspension of licensing for mbanje growers as well as banning its farming despite an overwhelming response to government’s earlier decision to legalise the two.

“Policy reversals have been characteristic of the Zanu PF government as one ministry does its thing without understanding ramifications of their decisions or policies on other ministries.

“The whole thing smacks of a government quick at talk and announcing without fully investing in thought processes around the issue,” railed political analysts Maxwell Saungweme.

South Africa-based political analyst Ricky Mukonza said government’s U-turn betrayed its desperation for legitimacy and hence the resort to populist policies.

“In fact it shows that we have a government that acts first and thinks later. It’s all a result of a legitimacy deficit. The government wants to act in a populist manner, trying to please everyone” Mukonza told the Daily News.

Last month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration gazetted licence fees for those interested in growing mbanje for research and medicinal purposes.

This was seen as part of strategies to shore up revenue flows to the depressed fiscus.

The development, which had divided opinion in the hugely polarised southern African nation, had made Zimbabwe the second country in Africa to legalise cultivation of the plant after the tiny kingdom of Lesotho announced the continent’s first licence to grow cannabis legally last year.

Until now, it had been illegal to grow, possess or use cannabis in Zimbabwe, with offenders facing up to 12 years in jail.

But in an interview with our sister paper, the Daily News on Sunday, Mukupe said the licensing of the dangerous high-street value drug had been put on ice to enable government to plug loopholes that might arise in future.

Mukupe revealed there has been an overwhelming response to the licences, with over 350 applications being made to the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), which is responsible for protecting public and animal health by ensuring that accessible medicines and allied substances and medical devices are safe, effective and of good quality through enforcement or adherence to standards by manufacturers and distributors.

“All the applications had been submitted to MCAZ, but what has since happened is that MCAZ has put everything on hold.

“MCAZ has put on hold licensing until they are pretty clear in terms of all the modalities like; how do we actually implement?” Mukupe said.

In legalising mbanje farming,   government  had set a hefty  licensing fee of $50 000 to farm cannabis in addition requiring the growers to also pay an annual return fee of  $15 000 while an application to renew a producers licence would cost $20 000.

Those willing to conduct research on cannabis were required to stump $5 000.

An application for renewal of a licence to conduct research on cannabis would cost $2 500, application for variation or amendment of a licence $2 500, application for import/ export licence $5 000 and inspection licence $2 500.

In the United States of America mbanje is legal in 29 states.

According to medical experts mbanje has many medicinal benefits which include relieving pain, insomnia, anxiety and reducing pain in treating epileptic patients.

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HARARE - Former first lady Grace Mugabe is at the centre of a vicious war of words between spokesperson of the stuttering National Patriotic Front (NPF), Jealousy Mawarire, and exiled two former Cabinet ministers — Jonathan Moyo and Patrick Zhuwao — who have been accused of trying to impose themselves on the opposition party.

Mawarire yesterday let rip at Moyo and Zhuwao for allegedly trying to enter a coalition without following due process while at the same time sullying former president Robert Mugabe’s wife.

The fallout between Mawarire and the two former ministers comes as the NPF leader Ambrose Mutinhiri is said to have “misused” funds meant to buy campaign T-Shirts for the fledgling party.

In a leaked video conversation between Moyo and Zhuwao, the two could be heard alleging that Mutinhiri abused about $14 000 donated by Grace to buy the NPF T-Shirts from South Africa.

However, Mawarire told the Daily News yesterday that the money at the centre of the storm actually came from a well-wisher, something that Moyo also admitted on his micro-blogging platform account Twitter.

“Mai Mugabe did not make any donation, they were done by a good Samaritan from South Africa. The money was from a South African account, there was no way she was involved, it’s grossly unfair.

“Zhuwao and Moyo want to drag Grace into their battle with me, they have been selling themselves as coalition brokers, falsely claiming that they are in control and would broker any deal,” said Mawarire.

The NPF is hard pressed to enter into a coalition with other political parties to increase the opposition chances of defeating President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the impending national elections.

Political analysts have said the opposition stands the chance to end Zanu PF’s dominance if it contests the looming polls as a grand coalition.

Last week some senior officials from the NPF, reportedly met MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to discuss a coalition pact.

But, Mawarire said as a party they have decided to set up structures first before entering into a broader coalition.

“Moyo and Zhuwao have seen in me someone who will not pander to their whims, a spokesperson who would not falsify the party position to promote their ambition of railroading NPF into a coalition outside the party structures.

“The national executive committee has resolved that while we believe a coalition is the way to go it can only be useful to us and our envisaged partners if it is done with the acquiescence of our party structures and that is what we have been doing before we embarked on any coalition.

“But in Moyo’s quest to be both the Machiavelli and the seer who discovers the prince he sees in me an inconvenient element that has the potential to water down his claim of being the man. He claims that that wisdom in Zimbabwean politics was born with his entry in 2000 and died with his unfortunate expulsion in 2017, but that is wrong,” said Mawarire.

On Twitter Moyo said that an unnamed male benefactor was sponsoring NPF activities.

“Gee whiz! How many times will NPF implode? “Munchembere” is a cryptonym that Patrick Zhuwao and I use strictly between us, especially in our written communication informal chats, for a male benefactor we understand has funded some of NPF’s founding budget,” wrote Moyo.

The NPF has in recent weeks been facing myriad challenges including claims that Mutinhiri was said to be considering his future — amid damaging talk that he is being abused by the former first family in the same way that they used Zanu PF politburo member Sydney Sekeramayi at the height of the ruling party’s deadly succession wars.
Mugabe’s nephew Zhuwao, further threw the cat among the pigeons two weeks ago when he accused former Zanu PF national political commissar, Saviour Kasukuwere, of being used by Mnangagwa’s government to lead a splinter group against the NPF.

Zhuwao, Kasukuwere and Moyo — who all fled into self-imposed exile following the fall of Mugabe from power in November last year — were once close political allies who were identified as the kingpins of the ruling party’s Generation 40 (G40) faction which coalesced around Mugabe and Grace before the 94-year-old was stunningly deposed from the throne with the help of an intervention by the military.

Until then, the annihilated G40 was locked in a brutal war of attrition with Mnangagwa and his supporters for control of both Zanu PF and the country.

Zhuwao’s surprise attacks on Kasukuwere were prompted by unconfirmed reports that the former Local Government minister may be negotiating with Mnangagwa and his inner circle for his return to Zimbabwe.

Kasukuwere returned to Harare yesterday afternoon ending his six months in self-imposed exile.

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HARARE - ZANU PF Epworth Ward 1 councillor, Elina Mazhandu, has quit the ruling party to join the New Patriotic Front (NPF), believed to have strong links to former president Robert Mugabe.

Mazhandu cited widespread harassment and threats on her life by Zanu PF members allegedly led by ruling party Epworth youth leader, Kudakwashe Damson, who is the party’s parliamentary candidate for Epworth in the forthcoming elections.

Damson has refuted the claims, saying he was actually a victim of violence.

“My brother citizens in Epworth are angry at the councillors and sitting Member of Parliament for failing to protect their interests.

“These people are hiding behind my name when it’s clear that the people no longer want them,” he said.

Mazhandu, however, insisted she had been deemed a Generation 40 (G40) member after playing a prominent role at the funeral of former Cabinet minister Amos Midzi in 2015, which saw rival Zanu PF factions clashing over control of the proceedings.

She said she was also being persecuted for a song coined by her musical group prior to the November military intervention which glorified deposed leader Robert Mugabe as “God given” and “the right candidate”.

“On 10 separate occasions, I was locked inside my house in Epworth with threats that they will burn me inside.

“Everyday I am being intimidated by Damson and his team on accusations that I am a member of G40.

“But as Zanu PF councillor, I am the same person who helped more than 19 000 people in Epworth, who did not have proof of residence receipts, to register for the upcoming elections.

“This is not the same Zanu PF I joined when I was less than 15-years. That is why I have decided to join NPF whose values are one and the same with my father (Mugabe).

“The only place I have refused to go is MDC, no, I cannot wave goodbye to my country,” she said.

Mazhandu said development efforts in Epworth were frustrated by Zanu PF members, adding that several developmental projects such as regularisation of stands were being scuttled because of infighting in the party.

“We reported the matter to our party superiors and that caused people like Goodwills Masimirembwa to be kicked out of the party leadership because of constantly interfering with our activities.

“Sadly they are now back again to haunt us and all our pleas for the president (Emmerson Mnangagwa) to intervene have fallen on deaf ears,” Mazhandu said.

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HARARE - The Harare City Council (HCC) has shortlisted 11 candidates for the position of town clerk, mayor Bernard Manyenyeni revealed on Monday.

The position has been vacant since 2015 when Tendai Mahachi was retrenched and replaced with Josephine Ncube, albeit in an acting capacity.

Before the latest development, council had shortlisted three candidates for the position namely Tapiwa Mashakada, Elizabeth Gwatipedza and Cainos Chingombe, but these were declined by the Local Government Board (LGB), prompting council to restart the search.

In rejecting the trio, the LGB said Mashakada was an active MDC politician; Chingombe was supposed to focus on his current position of human resources director while Gwatipedza had just started work at Gweru City Council, as the city’s new town clerk.

“We now have the shortlisted candidates, which was done independently of HCC. The candidates came from a pool of 127 candidates,” Manyenyeni told the Daily News. Council is still to set a date for the interviews.

In 2016, council had appointed former banker James Mushore to the position but he was suspended by former Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, who said his appointment had not been authorised by the LGB.

Following his suspension, Mushore approached the Labour Court for recourse, and the matter is still to be finalised. If Mushore wins the Labour Court case, HCC would be compelled to pay him over $250 000 in backdated salaries. 

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HARARE - Hordes OF MDC T supporters, suspected to be rooting for Nelson Chamisa in the party’s unresolved succession, yesterday swamped the Supreme Court and hurled insults at their former vice president Thokozani Khupe.

This came as the Supreme Court directed the High Court to hold a trial to determine whether Khupe is entitled to use the name of the party and establish if there were now two MDC-T parties, raising hopes among the squabbling parties that the matter could now be decisively dealt with before the impending elections.

Yesterday, the Chamisa faction successfully appealed a High Court order which had given leeway to Khupe’s camp to continue using the party name and symbols.

In the appeal, MDC-T was represented by Thabani Mpofu, while the respondents Khupe, Obert Gutu and Abednico Bhebhe, were represented by Lovemore Madhuku.

The appeal was granted by consent from both parties before Supreme Court judges Paddington Garwe, Antoinette Guvava and Anne-Marie Gowora, referred the matter back to the High Court for a trial to be conducted.

“It is ordered by consent that: the appeal be and is hereby allowed with no order as to costs, the judgment of the court a quo be and is hereby set aside and in its place the following is substituted:

“The application for this matter to be dealt with on an urgent basis is granted, in view of the material disputes of fact afflicting the application, it is ordered that the application be referred to trial for the resolution of the following disputes: whether or not there are two MDC-T parties, if not, whether the respondents are entitled to use the name, symbol, logo and trademarks of the MDC-T,” Garwe, who was leading the Supreme Court bench said.

But while the case was being heard, dozens of MDC T supporters were gathered outside singing and denouncing Khupe.

They partially blocked Samora Machel Avenue, with some banging the door leading to the courtroom during an adjournment.

Riot police had to be called to monitor the situation.

The numbers continued swelling as dozens more were dropped at court by commuter omnibuses.

Soon after Khupe left the courtroom, she was mobbed by dozens of people, who were singing and shouting obscenities at her.

Chamisa and Khupe are embroiled in a bitter leadership wrangle that emerged after the death of MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai on February 14, this year.

Khupe is steadfastly refusing to accept that Chamisa is the bona fide successor to Tsvangirai.

The party’s leadership squabble has been raging on despite the popular Chamisa having been unanimously endorsed as presidential candidate in this year’s make-or-break elections by the MDC Alliance.

Apart from Chamisa’s MDC-T, the alliance includes Tendai Biti’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Welshman Ncube’s MDC, Jacob Ngarivhume’s Transform Zimbabwe, Zanu Ndonga headed by Denford Masiyarira, and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats which is led by Mathias Guchutu.

Biti and Ncube are former secretaries-general of the original and united MDC which was led by Tsvangirai.

In the meantime, the MDC-T’s national council — which is the party’s highest decision-making body outside congress —endorsed Chamisa as the party’s president, although the gathering that made that decision is being contested by Khupe in the main.

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HARARE - Last weekend’s cancellation of a scheduled rally in Harare by Thokozani Khupe’s MDC formation could be evidence of the party’s lack of support, a rival formation led by Nelson Chamisa has alleged.

Khupe’s party had planned to launch its manifesto at the Harare showgrounds (Nelson Mandela Hall), but the event flopped after its candidates for the general elections and supporters failed to turn up.

But the faction has laid the blame squarely on Chamisa’s party, which allegedly intimidated their supporters.

The party’s secretary-general, Nickson Nyikadzino, said the launch had to be postponed indefinitely so that “we can deal with housekeeping issues in our party”.

“The Nelson Chamisa cabal, so to speak, stopped most our members from coming to this launch by perpetrating political violence in different constituencies and areas in order to send a wrong signal that we don’t have people yet we have people,” Nyikadzino said.

“The same way Nero (Chamisa) so to speak usurped power when the deceased president of ours was still in the mortuary is the same manner he has just done it again.”
Party vice president, Obert Gutu, immediately took to Twitter to vent out his frustration.

He tweeted: “In spite of the intimidation and threats of violence by the so-called Vanguard, MDC-T cadres were brave enough to come to the Harare showgrounds, Nelson Mandela Hall, for the launch of BEST on Saturday, May 19, 2018”.

Chamisa’s party has hit back, saying Khupe should accept the reality that she has no grassroots support.

“They insist that they have people on the ground when we have been trying to make them see that it’s only a mirage, they have no support in the country and they will endure more humiliation elsewhere because what happened in Harare is the true reflection of the national picture,” MDC national spokesperson, Thabitha Khumalo, said, adding that party supporters only knew “one leader who is… Chamisa”.

Khupe’s spokesperson Witness Dube refused to comment on suggestions that the party had no support referring questions to Linda Masarira.

Masarira was not taking calls on her mobile phone.

Khupe broke ranks with the mainstream MDC in February following the death of the party’s founding president, Morgan Tsvangirai.

She protested Chamisa’s rise to the party’s presidency, which she argued was unconstitutional.

Khupe went on to hold an extraordinary congress in the second city where she was unanimously voted president of a breakaway party.

Following Gutu’s tweets, his remarks attracted brickbats from critics on twitter with Tinaye Edwell suggesting Gutu was smoking dangerous drugs.

“Cannabis yakanzi tirime zviripamutemo tichiputa futi here zviya? Hurumende yavaED ngaijekese (Did the government legalise cannabis smoking by the way?

“Government must clarify) I’m seeing signs of smokers here! @GutuObert I want to vote for you and @DrThoko_Khupe but where are we heading sir with this struggle?
Chamisa seems to be ahead of Us!”

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HARARE - President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been caught offside yet again after he created a Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU) in his office dismissed by legal experts as a nullity because it has no legal basis.

In a statement issued on Monday, the chief secretary to the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, said the unit would be housed in Mnangagwa’s office.

“The overall objectives of the unit shall be — to improve efficiency in the fight against all forms of corruption and to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the national mechanisms for the prevention and fight against corruption in accordance with the anti-corruption strategy,” said Sibanda.

“The members of the unit will be announced in due course,” added Sibanda.

But legal experts canvassed by the Daily News yesterday said the declaration was in breach of the country’s laws as there was no legal authority allowing him to interfere with the prosecution authority, which lies in the Prosecutor General (PG).

Tinoziva Bere, a legal expert, cautioned against the creation of parallel structures, saying Mnangagwa must make use of existing policing, investigating, advisory and prosecuting arms of the Executive.

“There is only one PG. The president has no power to appoint a set of prosecutors answerable to him or his office. The president directs the army to defend the country; the Executive investigate through the police, the Attorney General (AG) advises government, the PG prosecutes independently; the lawyers defend and courts adjudicate,” he said.

“This is elementary constitutional law. If the PG has failed, the Constitution has provisions for his removal and replacement. The president cannot lawfully set up and or run unlawful parallel structures,” opined Bere.

After he came to power following a military takeover of government last November, Mnangagwa declared war on corruption.

But critics dismiss his abhorrence for corruption as all froth and no beer because the blitzkrieg has not nailed a single person thus far, and is being perceived as targeting those who resisted his ascendance to power.

Mnangagwa himself has not hidden his displeasure with the lack of teeth demonstrated by those tasked with fighting graft.

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He said as much in his latest statement issued through Sibanda, revealing his unhappiness with the snail’s pace of progress in tackling corruption.

The creation of SACU could therefore be a vote of no confidence in the police and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc).

Constitutional law expert, Craig Lennington, said Mnangagwa has no basis for establishing the unit, never mind its noble intentions.

“They might be some problems because the bodies that already exist are dealing with this. Public bodies depend on legislative bodies and it is hard to see where it derives its powers from, he needs to clarify what legal instrument he is using to set the unit,” said Lennington, a University of Zimbabwe lecturer.

This will not be the first time that Mnangagwa has been caught offside, legally.

Since his appointment in November last year, he has lurched from one legal mistake to the other – from is decision to mess up with ministerial appointments; his pronouncements in Davos that elections will be held in May when under the Constitution the earliest polling date is July 23rd and the last date is August 21 or also giving an ultimatum to those who externalised money and assets when he does not seem to have a legal basis for it.

Alex Magaisa, a United Kingdom-based law lecturer, wrote on his website that Mnangagwa’s office should keep away from prosecution functions.

He said in terms of the Constitution, the legal authority to prosecute vests in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the only agency that has the power to prosecute on behalf of the State.

“In this regard, section 258 states as follows: ‘There is a NPA, which is responsible for instituting and undertaking criminal prosecutions on behalf of the State and discharging any functions that are necessary or incidental to such prosecutions’,” he said.

A former advisor in the office of the late Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Magaisa, said the president should not even be seen to be managing those who prosecute.

“Any person who exercises prosecution authority assisting the PG must be employed by the board of the NPA and must work under the direction and control of the PG. It is unconstitutional to give prosecution authority to persons who are controlled by the Office of the President. It is also unconstitutional for anyone, including the Office of the President, to direct or control persons who are exercising prosecution authority.

“Since it is illegal and unconstitutional to exercise prosecution authority outside the NPA and the PG in the absence of any established legal authority, any legal action or prosecution that is performed in that manner would be fatally flawed. In other words, challenged in a court of law, it would be a legal nullity.

“The problem that the president has identified at the NPA can be solved without undermining its independence and integrity. If it is a question of resources, then all that needs to be done is to invest resources in the NPA. The lack of resources points to a systemic problem which needs a comprehensive solution that does not leave the NPA exposed. If the PG has agreed to this solution whereby he would have to give prosecution authority to persons who are outside his control and are housed in the Office of the President, then he too is undermining his office and the Constitution,” said Magaisa.

Political scientist Eldred Masunungure said the creation of yet another body fighting graft adds to the confusion instead of tackling the cancer that is corruption.
Masunungure said it is further confirmation of what some political scientists call ‘‘wicked politics’’.

“He appears to be in sixes and sevens and that is the complexity of the problem. You don’t deal with that problem by creating more and more institutions when we have some that are in the Constitution including NPA, Zacc – we now have this other unit, which is an administrative unit to add to the confusion and I don’t take it  seriously because it is accountable only to the president,” he said.

“It has no freedom to move and is restricted in a manner that is favourable to the president. This is a symbolic move, this is meant to impress but he must face such problems head on and not going around the bush as he is doing now,” added Masunungure.

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HARARE - Former Zanu PF national political commissar and ex-senior Cabinet minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, returned to Zimbabwe yesterday — ending his six months in exile that began in November last year following the dramatic ouster from power of former president Robert Mugabe.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Daily News, a relaxed Kasukuwere said he was happy to be back home, and looked forward to being with his family, attending to his businesses and completing his legal studies at the University of Zimbabwe.

He also put paid to allegations that he may be angling to lead the fledgling National Patriotic Front (NPF) that is closely linked to the Mugabes — saying “the claims were not worthy of his comment”.

“I can’t tell you how happy I’m to be back and to be with my family, both close and extended. It really is a great feeling that no words can adequately capture,” he said.

Asked what his plans were and whether he held no fears of the new dispensation, Kasukuwere said he had “no fears of anything, whatsoever”.

“I am a proud Zimbabwean with nothing to hide. The Constitution of our country also protects all its citizen and I am one of them.

“For the record, I’ve done nothing wrong either now or in my past to warrant me being fearful. All I have ever wished for, for our country and its people is the very best,” he said.

Upon arrival at the Robert Mugabe International Airport, Kasukuwere was detained by State security operatives who questioned him for more than an hour before releasing him.

As he emerged from the airport, a group of Zanu PF activists, led by the provincial youth league leader Godwin Gomwe shouted “thug, thug” while some said he should be arrested.

But he only returned a smile and went on to a waiting Mercedes Benz that quickly whisked him away.

Kasukuwere was accompanied by his wife, Barbara, who had to endure an anxious wait while operatives grilled her husband.

A former State security operative, Kasukuwere is said to have built a significant business empire before he went into politics full time.

He was elected legislator for Mt Darwin in 2000 and joined Cabinet in 2005, initially as deputy minister of Youth, before becoming the substantive minister for that ministry and later leading the Empowerment, Environment and Local Government portfolios.

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After the ruling party’s hotly-contested “elective” conference of 2014, he was appointed to the powerful position of Zanu PF national political commissar — which put him among the party’s top five bigwigs.

Kasukuwere fled into exile late last year— together with other former Zanu PF bigwigs that include former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo and Mugabe’s nephew Patrick Zhuwao — following the nonagenarian’s stunning fall from power.

The trio was at the time identified as some of the kingpins of the ruling party’s Generation 40 (G40) faction which had coalesced around Mugabe and his wife Grace.

Until then, the G40 was locked in a brutal war of attrition with Mnangagwa and his supporters for the control of both Zanu PF and the country.

Zhuwao recently launched a surprise attack on Kasukuwere, which was prompted by unconfirmed reports that the former Local Government minister was negotiating with Mnangagwa and his inner circle for his return to Zimbabwe.

Mugabe’s loose-tongued nephew claimed that there were reports that the country’s new political dispensation was “incubating the establishment of a copy-cat to the National Patriotic Front, to be called the ZNPF in an effort to derail the real NPF.

“The reports indicate that this copy-cat ZNPF junta project will seek to hijack the membership of the real NPF and subsume them under the leadership of Saviour Kasukuwere,” he added.

But Kasukuwere, who until this past weekend had not publicly commented on local politics since the stunning fall of Mugabe last year, emphatically pooh-poohed the claims.

“While I obviously don’t wish to be drawn into unproductive debates, this claim is simply devoid of any truth, and I will leave it there. Let those with ears listen carefully,” he said yesterday.

When Zhuwao made his claim, well-placed sources close to Kasukuwere also told the Daily News that everything that was being said and written about him were “pathetic attempts to sully his name and jeopardise his chances of returning to Zimbabwe”.

“It’s plain silly that Zhuwao is accusing Tyson (Kasukuwere) of supping with the devil by negotiating for his return home. Aren’t Mugabe and Grace nicely ensconced here at home, and so what is wrong with Tyson wanting to come back?

“We also know for certain that these characters attacking Tyson do not only fear him as a politician, but also want to draw him into their personal wars.

“The hard fact though is that he won’t dignify this nonsense by these nonentities by responding to their malicious attacks ... just leave him alone please,” one of Kasukuwere’s allies said then.

Responding to reports that his decision to return was informed by the fact that he had negotiated his safe return through his alleged links with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, Kasukuwere scoffed at the suggestion in an interview with South Africa’s Sunday Times, saying if that were the case he would have long returned home.

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HARARE - Songbird Tahle WeDzinza released a dance track titled Teleunga that was inspired by a Hawaiian dance.

The just-released song, which is Tahle WeDzinza’s second after her debut track titled Give Me More on which she featured music star Jah Prayzah, was produced by DJ Tamuka at Military Touch Movement (MTM) and mastered by former Kenako Records producer DJ Maga.

According to King Tahle, as the MTM strongwoman is popularly known by her fans, Teleunga was motivated by her passionate interest in the diverse cultures of minority people.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed putting together this track that brings together Zimbabwe and Hawaii. The track carries a message for a better world, without race or economic prejudice.

“As black people, we seem to struggle with lifting each other up which is a pity. The world is big enough for all of us to be successful. If we can focus on helping each other make it in life, the world will be a better place,” said Tahle.

To make the offering different from her debut offer Give Me More, King Tahle featured University of Zimbabwe student Innocent Kufakunesu, a highly-talented guitarist, who was mentored by the legendary Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi.

Her mother and manager, Linda Nyeredzi Chaya, is convinced that King Tahle has hit the right notes.

“Its sound, freshness and fusion of Afro-beats with traditional contemporary beats, places it in a creative space that is undeniably original. The track is definitely poised to be a hit track. What we really wanted was to drop the track with its video, but we are still raising the money for the video. It is our desire to have the video out by June 30 and we are appealing for support to make it happen,” she told the Daily News.

King Tahle, born Robyn Anesu Katahle Dawani, is among a new crop of rising Zimbabwean songbirds who include Gemma Griffiths, Tamy Moyo and Shasha.

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HARARE - Barely six months after Alick Macheso and Peter Moyo shared the stage in Mozambique, the two sungura musicians are returning to the former Portuguese colony next month to headline the country’s uhuru celebrations.

The celebrations to mark Mozambique’s 43 years of majority rule are pencilled for Campo Estrela Verhelma in Beira on June 25.

Mozambique attained her political independence on June 25, 1975.

Zimbabwean artistes command a huge following in Mozambique as the two countries share common language — Shona.

Last year, another Zimbabwean artiste, Isaac Tazvida, headlined the same celebrations held in Tete Province at Chitima Stadium on the same date.

Meanwhile, Macheso will unveil his latest album Dzinosvitsa Kure at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex on June 8.

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society humanitarian brand ambassador recently told the Daily News his music is a reflection of what he went through in life.

“I grew up on a farm in Mashonaland Central Province under the care of my mother,” he said.

Macheso said his personal background played a pivotal role in shaping his career hence he does not compete with other artistes.

“My music is not meant to thrill people, hence I never imagined myself regarded among the best musicians in the country; I take it as a platform to educate and communicate with my fans,” he said. 

“My mother wanted me to have a white-colour job but I failed to fulfil her wish because handina kuzopedza chikoro sevamwe vangu (I could not complete school like others). I then moved to Harare for greener pastures.

“I started professional music when I was just 15 but only to pursue a solo career in 1997. I compose each song as my first track and the majority of my songs are inspired by my personal background.”

Some of the songs that were directly inspired by his upbringing include Monalisa on Zvakanaka Zvakadaro and Baba off album Tsoka Dzerwendo.

The Tafadzwa hit maker’s previous albums are: Tsoka Dzerwendo, Kwatakabva Mitunhu (Kure Kwekure), Zvinoda Kutendwa, Ndezvashe-eh Vapupuri Pupurai, Zvido Zvenyu Kunyanya, Zvakanaka Zvakadaro, Simbaradzo, Vakiridzo and Magariro.

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HARARE - Zimbabwe's Benjamin Follett-Smith was the highest-placed golfer during the just-ended Sunshine Tour-sanctioned Lombard Insurance Classic at Royal Swazi Spa Country Club.

Follett-Smith finished the tournament with a score of nine-under 209 to tie for 30th place together with the South African pair of Derick Petersen and Desne Van Den Bergh.

Two other local golfers Mark Williams and Marc Cayeux also made the cut to play on the weekend but finished lower on the leader board.

Williams was in 43rd place after a gross score of four-under 212 while Cayeux was in 44th place with a score of one-under 215.

South Africa’s Justin Harding won the tournament which was his second Sunshine Tour title in two weeks.

Harding made birdie two on the 18th after he and Jake Roos had done battle five previous times on that hole without being able to eke out a victory.

That was after Roos had shot a nine-under-par 63 in regulation play to force the play-off with Harding who carded a six-under 66.

“I’m exhausted,” said Harding after he had seen off the challenge of the man who won his first five Sunshine Tour titles in play-offs.

“To be honest, all I was trying to do on that final hole was make birdie, like I do on all the par-threes on this course.

“In fact, I’m happy to make par on them, but this time, it wasn’t enough.”

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HARARE - The Zimbabwe national rugby side began their week-long training camp in South Africa on Monday with a workout at the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Tshwane.

With their first 2018 Rugby Afrique Gold Cup match against Morocco a little over three weeks away, the Sables are eager to make the best of the little time they have from now on.

Zimbabwe needs to finish top of the six-team division to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be held in Japan.

Sables coach Peter de Villiers, who replaced Cyprian Mandenge in February, is pleased with his side’s preparations ahead of the game against the North Africans at Police Grounds on June 9.

Before leaving for Tshwane, the Sables had spent a few productive days at Falcon College in Esigodini where they held another training camp off the grid.

“Individually, we always knew what they (the players) can do or what they are doing now but as a team, we are now doing it quicker,” De Villiers told Sables TV.

“The time they spent time on what they are doing and how they reacting, makes me very excited to be with them.

“If we can get them to 80 percent of their abilities, I think we will be unstoppable. At this moment, we are not far off but we need just a few adjustments a few aspects of how to get there.”

After taking on Morocco on June 16, the Sables will then travel to Nairobi for a date against Kenya on June 30.

A week later, De Villiers and his squad are on the road again as they take on Tunisia in Monastir on July 7.

The Sables next game will be a home tie against Namibia, who have dominated the Gold Cup in recent years.

The Welwitschias has qualified for the last five World Cups and will be the Sables main threat in this year’s competition.

Sables provisional squad: Tapfuma Parirenyatwa, David Makanda, Connor Pritchard, Fortunate Chipendu, Brian Nyaunde, Farai Mudariki, Denford Mutamangira, Matthew Mandioma, Gabriel Sipapate, Kudakwashe Nyamufaringa, Jannie Stander, Johan Stander, Biselele Tshamala, Njabulo Ndlovu, Kevin Nqindi, Lawrence Cleminson, Michael Botha, Shingirai Katsvere, Takudzwa Mandiwanza, Kudzai Mashawi, Brendon Mandivenga, Mathew MacNab, Lenience Tambwera, Hilton Mudariki, Peter du Toit, Ernest Mudzengerere, Ngoni Chibuwe, Dylan Baptista, Ziyanda Edmond Khupe, Riaan O’Neill, Kuziva Kazembe, Takudzwa Kumadiro

Technical team: Peter De Villiers, Brendon Dawson, Kisset Chirengende, Kwayedza Chiwara, Taurayi Chipamaunga, Abigail Mnikwa

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HARARE - ZPC Kariba coach Godfrey Tamirepi wants his charges to show they are ready to climb up the ladder starting with this afternoon’s Castle Lager Premiership match against CAPS United at the National Sports Stadium.

The Zimbabwe Power Company-owned side did not have the best of starts after losing four of their opening matches to condemn them to the bottom of the table.

They, however, made a steady recovery and are unbeaten in their last eight matches from which they have managed six draws and two wins.

That run has taken their tally to 12 points after 12 matches to move to 12th place on the log table.

In their last match, Kariba picked their second set of full points at home this season after a narrow 1-0 victory over Yadah FC at Nyamhunga Stadium and Tamirepi wants his charges to build on that win as they prepare for a clash against the Green Machine.

“I think we are more than ready to meet CAPS. We are coming from a victory and it will be good if we build on that going forward,” Tamirepi told the Daily News yesterday.

“We had a slow start but this is the kind of match that can show we are ready to move up and be counted. If you look at it, we have been playing some good football but only struggled in front of goal, something we have been working on lately.

“We are actually unbeaten in our last eight games which is a sign that slowly, we are getting there and we need to show up against CAPS United. We are still at the bottom and we are desperate to move up the ladder.”

And while Tamirepi wants a positive result against CAPS United he acknowledges it will not be an easy game.

“They will be playing at home in front of their fans and they will not make it any easy for us. Remember they are coming from a draw against Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium and that on its own is a huge statement of their quality.

“We really need to be at our best if we are to beat them considering they are at home.”

Tamirepi is also pleased to pick his strongest possible squad following a clean bill of health in his camp.

“We are injury free and we are looking forward to pick our strongest possible squad. We do not have any excuses,” he said.

CAPS United are seventh on the log table with 17 points having played 12 matches. Their last home match at the National Sports Stadium was a 1-2 defeat to log leaders Ngezi Platinum Stars.

And that defeat triggered a raft of changes to the squad that travelled to Bulawayo last weekend to salvage a goalless draw against Highlanders.

United coach Lloyd Chitembwe dropped his entire backline save for fullback Valentine Musarurwa.

Justice Jangano, Goodwin Goriyati and Carlton Munzabwa all came in to replace Stephen Makatuka, Praise Tonha and Dennis Dauda.

Goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba retained his number one spot between the sticks as he replaced Cris Mverechena after serving a two-match suspension for his red card in the defeat to Chicken Inn.

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