LOZWI King and direct descendant of King Mambo, Mike Moyo,has thrown his weight behind the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) and urged political parties to put their differences aside and dialogue for the good of the country.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU/SILAS NKALA

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has refused to have any dialogue outside of Polad. The main opposition MDC led by Nelson Chamisa has refused to participate in Polad meetings held by Mnangagwa and fringe opposition parties, saying it is not a genuine platform for any meaningful dialogue, while also demanding a neutral interlocutor and venue.

Moyo, however, said dialogue was necessary to alleviate widespread suffering faced by millions at a time when hunger is stalking the country.

“Next year we are expecting a turnaround for Zimbabwe. We know that there will be political negotiations through Polad and I am expecting that political parties would put people first.

“Ordinary Zimbabweans are feeling the heat through sanctions. We would continue to pray for peace and stability,” Moyo said in his end of year message.

But most civic and political groups from Matabeleland said Polad was a waste of resources by presidential losers in the July 2018 polls.

MDC Bulawayo provincial chairperson James Sithole told Southern Eye that the political actors participating in Polad were “acting in a boring movie”.

“Bulawayo province as part of the greater national MDC family is committed and supports the party’s leadership guided by its resolution to participate in dialogue and dialogue for the people and not individuals, only when the dialogue involves the representative of the 2-5 million people can be genuine,” Sithole said.

“The current dialogue (Polad) is not genuine because it’s presided over by a conflicted person who is at the centre of an election dispute. (Nelson) Chamisa’s MDC wants real and effective dialogue, the kind that will bring electoral reforms, peace and stability and improve the life of the suffering masses of this country.”

Human rights activist and political commentator Effie Ncube said if it was true that some in Polad were demanding cars and allowances, then it would be a serious indictment of the platform.

“Polad is a conversation between political parties as non- State entities. To give allowances and vehicles to participants from the national fiscus would constitute a colossal scandal and an evil abuse of trust and office,” he said.

Habakkuk Trust chief executive officer Dumisani Nkomo said Polad’s demands to government were ridiculous.

“Polad itself is a questionable process that excludes key political and social factors. These demands are preposterous, nefarious, callous and careless. They border on mischief and a flagrant disregard of the bulk of the citizenry who continue to grovel in grinding poverty while others in Polad wine at the altar of political expediency in a glorified talk show,” Nkomo said.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said Polad members were showing their true colours and were a liability to national development.

National Peace and Reconciliation Commission chairperson Selo Nare on Sunday said Polad has been a success, citing the response by Sadc to Polad in solidarity with the government on the unconditional removal of sanctions as a major success.

ZIMBABWE has very little or practically no concerts that bring out the multi-racial composition of its citizens and permanent residents.

BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU

Many a time, Zimbabweans stay in their own silos adhering to the unwritten rules of social and class intercourse, but one band has broken the barriers — Mokoomba from Binga.

The all-men band over the years has become Zimbabwe’s most commercially successful group after the Bhundu Boys.
While the Bhundu Boys’ claim to fame rest on playing before 90 000 screaming fans at Wembley Stadium in London and perfectly endearing themselves to the English audience, Mokoomba’s strength lies in being the only group from Zimbabwe that annually performs more than 30 shows at big festivals in Western Europe and North America.

Mokoomba fronted by Mathias Muzaza remains less known in Zimbabwe due to a number of factors including their limited shows in the country, four at most in a year, and singing in Tonga a minority language that many radio DJs and journalists do not understand.

However, their spirited stage performance, Muzaza’s spine-tingling vocals, Trust Samende’s lead guitar exploits and the band percussion is seductive, drawing one into the web of their songs even without understanding a word.

Pathisani Moyo (keyboardist), Ndaba Coster Moyo (drums), Abundance Mutori (bass guitar) and Miti Mugande (percussionist) make up the full ensemble that has mesmerised audiences across the world.

On Friday, Mokoomba was closing their performances in Harare for 2019, actually their third show in the capital this year.

In the spirit of helping out up-and-coming artistes Mokoomba shared the stage with Probeatz, a new artiste with his art that defies definition. The guy can make the mike sound like drums and produce a spellbinding rhythm.

Mokoomba also gave emerging musician Solution a chance to showcase his music and exquisite vocals when he came on stage to do a duet with diva Amara Brown.

Just before 10pm, Mookomba came to the stage with the audience expecting another electric performance and the boys duly delivered. The band started on a slow tempo playing Kuma Kamukanda, Anachibale, Kazola and by the time they got to Africa the dancefloor was lit.

They pushed further and by playing the crowd favourite Nyaradzo an acappella song that shows the band’s vocal prowess, swaying all the lovebirds to the melody and lifting their spirits to the heavens.

Like always they band saluted the audience with a bow and the lights went out to the great pleadings of “one more, one more,” but the night had since changed to morning and the sated audience trooped out still filled with delirium.

After a decade on the road, touring every continent, raising the country’s flag with their Afro-fusion beat, Mokoomba does not seem to be slowing down but ready to release their third album after Rising Tide and Luyando.

BINGA district development co-ordinator Lydia Banda-Ndethi has been demoted for allegedly boycotting a function where Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was officiating, the Southern Eye has established.

BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

Banda is alleged to have violated sections of the Public Service Regulations by choosing to attend a non-governmental organisation (NGO) programme instead of Chiwenga’s event held in July 2018 at Manjolo Business Centre.

According to a misconduct charge sheet dated December 17 signed by one Z.R Churu (Disciplinary Authority) on behalf of the Local Government permanent secretary, Banda violated section 44 (2) (a) as read with paragraphs 2 and 24 of the first schedule (section 2) of the Public Service Regulations, 2000 as amended.

Investigations against Banda, who is now deputy director local governance in the provincial development co-ordinator’s office, Matabeleland North, were conducted between August 19 and 21, 2019, Churu said.

“You allegedly prematurely left the function that the Vice-President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Chiwenga was officiating in July 2018 at the Manjolo Business Centre opting to attend to a NGO programme. You had lopsided priorities to the extent that the activities of NGOs were taking precedence ahead of government business,” the misconduct charge sheet reads.

Banda also stands accused of failing to hold government-funded national events such as the Heroes Day commemorations among other acts of misconduct.

“Heroes commemorations have allegedly not been held in the district at least since 2015 when you assumed duty in Binga district. During your tenure in Binga district, you allegedly routinely left chiefs to meet on their own during monthly meetings while your prioritised other errands.”

By so doing she allegedly violated paragraph 2 of the Public Service Regulations, 2000 as amended which states, “improper, negligent, inefficient or incompetent performance of duties.”

Her actions were said to be inconsistent with, and prejudicial to the discharge of duties that the Civil Service vested in her.

Banda was given no later than 14 days to respond to the charges from the day of receipt of the letter.
In an interview, Banda said her lawyer had advised her not to give her side of the story yet to the media. “My lawyer advised me not to give my side of the story to the media as it would problematic in the future,” Banda said yesterday.

In response to It’s ‘aluta continua’ in ED’s Zimbabwe, MUTATI says: It is pretty clear that some people were born to make other people suffer. We have heard enough of Zanu PF leadership, torture and corruption. For how long shall the people be under Pharaoh, but it is almost 40 years of people suffering, yet it appears difficult for people to do the correct thing? It appears true that Zanu PF liberated the people to oppress them. It is now two years down the line, all hope is slowly fading. President Emmerson Mnangagwa is leading a deeply-divided nation, plagued by economic challenges which he seem to have found no solution.

In response to We’re trying to stabilise the Zimdollar: Mangudya, CHEDU says: This is purely nonsense, especially when it is coming from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, who is clueless on how best to solve the economic hardships he has created. Mangudya promised the whole nation to resign if the bond note failed. Here we are now, inflation rate is at 480%, the worst after Venezuela as if we are in a war situation. As far as we know Mangudya cannot stabilise the Zimdollar because he is clueless. Instead, as the people we should expect more suffering as they continue to allow our resources to be stolen.

IN response to Feed the people not fish, Chamisa tells ED, CHAMBOKO says: MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is not doing enough to show President Emmerson Mnangagwa that he is doing more harm than good to the people, be it Zanu PF or MDC. We are becoming a joke to the world given the way Mnangagwa is leading the nation. Mnangagwa has allowed thieves and con people to flourish. He seems to be enjoying feeding his fish at the farm while people are suffering.

IN response to A chaotic Christmas!, MASHAMBULANI says: The year 2019 has become the worst year which everybody does not even want to hear about. It was not a Christmas to remember in anyway as the working class was hit the hardest. Our incomes were totally eroded and they became useless to an extent that we could not buy anything meaningful with $100. For sure, it was a chaotic Christmas whereby there was no electricity for more than 18 hours a day, no tape water and service stations were dry as motorist failed to travel to their rural areas. Under the Mnangagwa-led leadership, the people will continue to suffer till death because the regime has no solution.

THE breakaway opposition party MDC-T Vice-President Obert Gutu may not have joined the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) for tea and biscuits, but Polad still spends taxpayer’s money to do work that should be done by existing government structures.

By Kennedy Kaitano, Our Reader

Is Gutu seriously telling us that a department that will be created by the useless Polad to manage its communication will be made up of unpaid volunteers?

Is Gutu telling the world that the members of Polad have used their personal resources to travel out of Harare to attend workshops?

Can he honestly say there have been no allowances paid to the participants of these workshops?
Can Gutu prove to us that Polad has not been allocated money from the 2020 budget?

And Polad, from what has been said, is made up of the losing presidential candidates and I wonder why it has now been expanded to accommodate other officials from the parties which sponsored a presidential candidate like Gutu, who was not a presidential candidate? This is the confusion behind the Polad concept, and how corruption is at play to then include persons who were not Presidential elections candidates.

It is clear Gutu wants to mislead the world that people outside Polad only want to complain, but does not proffer solutions to the problems, as if Polad is the only group which has suggested solutions.

Many organisations and individuals have suggested solutions and it could be government which has selectively considered such suggestions.

Polad is unconstitutional, unnecessarily duplicates the work being done by other arms of government and a waste of tax payers’ money.