BY MOSES MATENGA

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa will tomorrow meet members of the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) at his Kwekwe farm.

The government confirmed the meeting, saying it was centred around production and will include a tour of the farm.

Polad is made up of the MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe, the National Constitutional Assembly led by Lovemore Madhuku and many other small parties.

The meeting comes as MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has called for the non-inclusion of Polad in talks between his party and Zanu PF, saying the coming in of the actors will confuse the process as they have their own agendas.

Polad was created by Mnangagwa after the disputed 2018 elections to dialogue with losers in the presidential poll.

Chamisa, however, refused to be part of the process, saying meaningful dialogue should be between his party and Zanu PF and should address the legitimacy issue first.

While the MDC leader has refused to recognise Mnangagwa as the legitimate President, Polad members have, however, recognised him and are working with him.

The meeting comes days after the visit by former South African President Thabo Mbeki to initiate dialogue among political actors.

“The President has invited all members of Polad for them to appreciate what he is doing at the farm,” presidential spokesperson George Charamba said yesterday.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

ENERGY deputy minister Magna Mudyiwa was on Thursday quizzed in Senate over upgrading of Hwange and Kariba power stations which have been going on for several years without tangible improvement in power generation.

Mashonaland West Senator Voice Chinake (Zanu PF) asked Mudyiwa to explain government policy to ensure electricity availability in the country, to which she said government was upgrading Hwange Power Station.

However, Midlands Senator Morgen Komichi (MDC Alliance) pointed out that the prolonged power projects were bleeding government coffers.

“We have measures that we have been putting in place to import electricity, but we also have Hwange Thermal Power Station, where we get some of our electricity and there are six units that are supposed to be working to generate 705 megawatts (MW),” Mudyiwa said.

“Due to that, the generators are now obsolete, they work for at least two days and they break down, hence we are experiencing serious electricity shortages.”

Mudyiwa told Senate of the Hwange seven and eight expansion project, which is 30% complete and is expected to be completed by 2021, adding that plans were afoot to upgrade Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare thermal stations.

The deputy minister said business and institutions such as Parliament should harness solar power and get off the grid.

“There are companies that we are encouraging to do this such as Econet and Schweppes that are already using solar.

“Through the renewable energy policy, institutions like hospitals and universities should have solar fields so that they can generate solar for use. We also urge people who can afford to use solar energy to do so,” she said, adding that excess power could be fed to the national grid.

Komichi then raised the issue of ageing thermal power stations which are always being upgraded with nothing tangible to show.

“This is not the first time that upgrading has been done at the three thermal power stations – Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare – and a lot of money has been used and channelled towards these upgrades. If you look at your records, you will notice that Bulawayo was upgraded, but nothing came up, then Munyati was upgraded and nothing came up. Harare was also upgraded, but nothing came up. Why not build new power stations because those already there can be museums because they are useless. It is better to put independent units of 200MW in Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare,” Komichi said.

Mudyiwa said she would take Komichi’s recommendations.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA/PATRICIA SIBANDA

FLIGHTS were temporarily stopped yesterday after air traffic controllers (ATCs) at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International and Joshua Nkomo International airports downed tools for the second time in a month citing antiquated equipment and poor remuneration.

The first strike on November 26 plunged the airport into chaos, with several passengers inconvenienced when fights failed to take off or land at the RGM International Airport.

Yesterday, travellers were briefly stranded in the morning when they were told to disembark from planes because the traffic controllers were refusing to work.

Travellers at both airports yesterday morning said the planes could not take off at the expected time due to the stand-off, which ended around 11am after the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) held talks with the controllers.

The strike come after weeks of negotiations failed to resolve the dispute, with the ATCs giving notice of a strike on Tuesday over several issues, topped by old equipment and poor salaries.

ATC spokesperson and CAAZ manager Anna-Julia Hungwe confirmed that there was a brief strike, but said the dispute was promptly resolved.

She said the workers resumed their duties after the engagement.

“It was just an operational issue which affected the traffic control, but now, we are okay.

Everyone has resumed work. It’s now all back to normal,” Hungwe said.

A source at the airport revealed that the equipment was old and frequently broke down, giving the controllers a tough time to do their work.

Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza reportedly visited CAAZ on Thursday to try and resolve the issue, but failed to stop yesterday’s strike.

“The air traffic controllers’ downed tools and flights only resumed at around 11am after the CAAZ management held talks with them,” the source said.

ATCs are a key section of CAAZ as they are responsible for issuing landing and take-off instructions to pilots, monitoring and directing the movement of aircraft on the ground and in the air using radar, computers or visual references.

BY NIZBERT MOYO/ PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa says his party would only go into talks for the purpose of enforcing a cocktail of reforms for the country to move forward, unlike the ruling Zanu PF which he said seemed to be obsessed with positions and power.

Chamisa and a delegation of the party’s top leadership were in Bulawayo since Thursday to hold National Standing Committee, National Executive and structures meetings.

In an interview, Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda yesterday said while the political crisis continues, on the international stage, the MDC’s narrative of the Zimbabwe crisis was being received and recognised.

“Currently, Sadc is engaged with the Zimbabwe situation through (former South Africa) President Thabo Mbeki. Chamisa is not negotiating for positions, but for something better than a Government of National Unity (GNU),” he said.

“He (Chamisa) is negotiating for political reforms first to correct the record of 2018 elections, reforms that will never go back again, disputed elections, military coup and corruption. That is his agenda. Those who are thinking about positions must forget.”

Sibanda said the national dialogue must be a credible, bankable and a legitimate process fully guaranteed by the international community with specific deliverables, benchmarks and timelines through a mutually agreed and acceptable facilitator “this is his agenda and must be guaranteed”.

He said Chamisa was looking for a national transitional mechanism, comprehensive reform agenda and free and fair elections under international supervision.

“It is not a honey trap, but a bee trap. Zanu PF has no honey to offer. It is clueless, but consistent on its power retention agenda. There are two options in assisting a sinking ship, it’s either you sink with it or it will offload you when it gets to the shore,” Sibanda said.

He said Chamisa could not engage in the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad), describing it as a kids’ game, and adding that MDC was the one that called for talks with President Emmerson Mnangagwa by writing two letters first before and after last year’s elections.

He said Chamisa wanted to discuss electoral conduct to avoid the issue of illegitimacy, but was spurned.

Addressing journalists at a Press conference, MDC spokesperson Daniel Molokele said the opposition party is opting for a national transitional mechanism that includes all stakeholders in the country, both political and non-political groups.

He said this would ensure improvement in the political and economic environment.

Molokele said the European Union, United Nations and Sadc had also pointed out that a national transitional mechanism could change the dire situation in the country.

“A national transitional mechanism is a different concept altogether because with GNU the political parties in Parliament must form a government, but in this we are saying all stakeholders in Zimbabwe must form a temporary government,” he said.

“This means that the president must not come from any political party, but can be a respected former judge or civic society leader. The leader is given a two to three-year period to ensure that we have a transitional process to have comprehensive reforms.”

Molokele said this had happened in other countries such as Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

“It is guaranteed by Sadc, UN, AU that within a two-year period, it will create a free and fair environment for elections and the winner becomes the president and illegitimacy comes to an end,” he said.

“As long as there is a dialogue, which has no MDC or Zanu PF, then there is no dialogue. We will not join Polad as they are an extension of Zanu PF.”

Molokele said the MDC did not invite Mbeki, adding that the talks have not yet begun.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday came face-to-face with an elderly woman who interrogated him over the anguish of pensioners who sleep at bank queues only to get 50 cent coins while crisp new notes are channelled to the black market.

Mnangagwa was quizzed by citizens on issues of corruption in the country at the no-holds-barred event organised by the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC) in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), and Transparency International-Zimbabwe to commemorate the international Anti-Corruption Day Symposium under the theme Taking Stock of the Anti-Corruption Agenda in Zimbabwe.

Different panellists asked Mnangagwa to explain government policy on corruption in the banking, mining, the public and private sectors and the transport sector, among others.

Sixty-year-old Barbara Zamba, from Gokwe, who was one of the panellists, confronted Mnangagwa over the suffering of the Zimbabwean public at banks.

“I am a widow and I sleep at bank queues looking for money, and if I get that money, it will be only $60 in 50 cent coins, which are rejected by kombis and shops, and Mr President, can you explain why banks are giving people money which is not accepted for transactions,” Zamba said.

“We are also charged a premium when transacting on EcoCash, and there is a three-tier pricing system in the country which we view as corruption.”

Mnangagwa said all the bank queues and suffering of Zimbabweans were caused by sanctions.

“I am a listening President and you are saying you are a pensioner and you queue long hours or sleep at bank queues and yet you worked for that money. What I can say to you is that the country has a long history. After the liberation struggle, we then took our land and redistributed it to the people, but the whites then imposed economic sanctions upon us,” he said.

“If a country is to succeed, it needs to be backed by international banks like the World Bank to get lines of credit, but because of sanctions, people are suffering in Zimbabwe and it resulted in hyperinflation. We then decided to introduce our own currency. We have been surviving through our own hard work and yet all neighbouring countries have been getting lines of credit.”

Continued Mnangagwa: “The issue of failure to get money at banks is because we did not have much money in circulation. However, pensioners used to get $100 per month, but my government increased that to $800. As we go towards Christmas, the long queues at banks will be disappearing. I called the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya and told him about it and he said they used to issue $10 million to $20 million, but from Tuesday, next week they will be releasing $30 million to increase money supply.”

He said they were not going back on coins, but would also introduce $10 notes and $20 notes.
Child MP Vanessa Chivizhe said it was disheartening that young people were failing to get jobs due to nepotism and the comatose economy, which was sentencing them to poverty.

Child Speaker Christopher Mutasa told Mnangagwa that the country had policies to deal with corruption, but they were not being implemented and as youths, they demand strategic plans to solve the country’s problems.

APNAC chairperson Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga said while Mnangagwa had appointed a new Zacc
board, there was need to remove the old Zacc staff so that the anti-corruption body is more effective.

Panellists told Mnangagwa that due to bribe-seeking tendencies at the Registrar-General’s department, some children are failing to acquire identity documents and that courts were releasing bigwigs implicated in corruption cases.

TI-Z programmes manager Farai Mutondoro said corruption had pervaded the extractive sector in terms of non-disclosure of contracts, bribes in mining contracts and machete wars affecting the gold sector.

Mnangagwa said to deal with unemployment, graduates should seek jobs in the diaspora.

“If you go to different countries in the world, you will find Zimbabweans at the top of global companies because we have the best education. Better be unemployed, but be educated because you can go outside the country and get employment, but what is critical is you must create jobs in this country.”

On corruption in mining, he said when he was in Belarus, he was told by businessmen there that they were buying US$60 million worth of gold from the black market trade in Zimbabwe, which he said should be going through Fidelity Printers and Refiners.

BY SILAS NKALA

DETHRONED Ntabazinduna’s Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni is challenging the government’s decision to eject him from the traditional leadership post and is seeking reinstatement.

Ndiweni, who was dethroned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration with effect from November 30, filed an application through his lawyer Dumisani Dube at the Bulawayo High Court yesterday, citing Mnangagwa, Local Government minister July Moyo, Chiefs’ Council president Fortune Charumbira, Chief Shana for Matabeleland North Provincial Chiefs Assembly, Matabeleland North provincial development co-ordinator (PDC) Latiso Dlamini and Umguza PDC Tapiwa Zivovoyi as respondents.

Ndiweni wants his removal from the chieftainship to be declared unlawful, null and void and set aside.

“The recommendations of the Matabeleland Provincial Assembly of Chiefs that Chief Felix Nhlanhla Ndiweni be removed from office of Chief Ndiweni be and should be, hereby, declared null and void,” he submitted.

“The directive of first respondent (Mnangagwa) that applicant be dispossessed of his government issued vehicle, chief’s regalia and other government assets lawfully in his possession be declared to be unlawful, null and void and of no force and be set aside. “

In his founding affidavit, Ndiweni said his application was for a declaratory and consequential relief that his purported removal from chieftainship by Mnangagwa based on the recommendations by Provincial Chiefs Assembly must be null and void.

“… More particularly that I can only be removed from my office as a chief upon lawful action and processes fully respecting my constitutional rights under subsection (1) and (2) of section 68 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, which grants me the rights to administrative conduct that is lawful, reasonable, procedural and substantive as well as the rights to be promptly given reasons for the administrative conduct taken … I was denied all these rights,” he submitted.

“When the issue of my removal from the office was being considered, I was entitled in terms of subsection (1)(2) of section 3 of the administration of Justice Act Chapter 10:28 not only to lawful, reasonable and fair treatment, but also to be given adequate notice of the nature and proposed action against me as well as to be given a reasonable opportunity to make adequate representation on the matter. None of these rights were respected in my purported removal from office …”

Ndiweni said during the process leading to his removal, he was denied the right to be heard.

“Chief Ndiweni having been duly and lawfully appointed by then President late Robert Mugabe in June 2014, accordingly no question arises under section 3(2)(a)(1) of the Traditional Leaders Act Chapter 29:17. Section 28(1) of the Constitution cited by first respondent as being the provision on the basis of which … he acted in purporting to remove me from office does not in itself grant first respondent any power of removal of a chief, but merely provides for limits, qualifications and conditions which must be included in an Act of Parliament making provision for the appointment, suspension, succession and removal of traditional leaders,” he submitted.

“I am the substantive Chief Ndiweni on Ntabazinduna, Umguza District having been duly appointed by then President in terms of sections 283 of the constitution Amendment No 20 Act 2013 and section 3(1) of the Traditional Leaders Act Chapter 29:17 having been duly appointed on June 20 2014.”

He wants government to be blocked from confiscating his official vehicle and regalia.

Respondents are yet to file their response.

THE National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (Nango) on Wednesday conducted training of its members in the Midlands province aimed at imparting skills to end existing regional conflicts.

By Brenna Matendere

The Midlands province has been dogged by conflict, which includes the 1980s Gukurahundi disturbances, which the government and other independent bodies have been trying to resolve over the years with little success.

Political violence, rifts between local authorities and vendors and the stand-off between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the police over public gatherings haunt the city.

Gweru City Council and residents have also been haggling over the rates billing system, which could see pre-paid water meters being introduced.

There is also a fight between farmers and miners on land rights as well as the menace of MaShurugwi.

Nango central region co-ordinator Titos Mangoma told NewsDay on the sidelines of the Gweru workshop, that his organisation strived to ensure that all NGOs in the Midlands have personnel trained to deal with cases of conflict.

“The training was basically on conflict prevention, management, resolution and transformation. The training sought to capacitate civil society organisations and other stakeholders to understand their role in promoting peace through utilising various peacemaking mechanisms which prevent, manage, resolve and transform all forms of conflict,” he said.

“The key outcomes of the meeting were geared towards the development of a framework which encompasses early detection systems of conflict and strengthening various peace building mechanisms. There are several cases of conflicts which came up in the meeting and we resolved on how to tackle them one by one as NGOs.”

Some of the NGOs which took part in the training include Zimbabwe Christian Alliance, Childline, Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Women Coalition of Zimbabwe and residents’ associations.
Mangoma urged the NGOs to go into communities and try to end existing conflicts.

“The issue of MaShurugwi who are terrorising people also came out in the meeting and we agreed on how to try and solve the conflict. There was also the issue of violation of children’s rights that is a conflict case in communities; as well as land rights fights between farmers and miners. We set out the tone for ending some of these conflicts and several others that are already known at the national level,” he said.

TWO soldiers based in Hwange, Matabeleland North province, allegedly threatened to kill a State spy bearing a Mugabe surname after accusing him of being related to the late former President Robert Mugabe.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Sindiso Nkomo and Philani Nyoni allegedly threatened to kill Tawanda Mugabe in an act of revenge, claiming the late President had also killed thousands in the region.

The incident took place on December 8, 2019 at Cricket Club in Hwange.

This emerged during their court appearance before Hwange magistrate Aelene Munamati, who found the pair guilty and fined them $100 each.

Munamati also slapped them with a wholly suspended two-month jail sentence.

The State, led by Trymore Chitumbu, said the two soldiers, based at 1.2 Infantry Battalion in Hwange, took offence when they heard that an officer from the Office of the President and Cabinet had a Mugabe surname.

“The accused persons approached the complainant after they heard him being called Mugabe by his friend. The accused threatened to kill the complainant, accusing him of being related to the late former President. They said ‘we must kill him because Mugabe killed a lot of people in this region’,” Chitumbu said.

The pair reportedly beat up Mugabe, resulting in their arrest.

The late former President, Mugabe, has largely been blamed for the 1980s Gukurahundi mass killings in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces after he deployed a North Korea-trained Fifth Brigade in the region to ostensibly fight dissidents.

The arrest of the two soldiers comes after the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) raised concern over cases of indiscipline among its officers.

ZNA Chief of Staff Quartermaster Staff, Major-General Hlanganani Dube recently said cases of indiscipline were rising.

“I strongly feel obliged to express the command element’s concern over repeated acts of indiscipline by some of our members,” Dube was quoted saying during a recent speech and prize giving ceremony of Inter Formation and Unit Drill Competitions held at Headquarters 5 Brigade.

“We continue to experience an increase in the number of members involved in crimes committed both within and outside the organisation. Such acts of indiscipline must end immediately. Severe punishments will always be applied for any deviation from our set standards.”