The United States has called on President Emerson Mnangagwa to stop working against the people to end the suffering of Zimbabweans.
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee said the Zimbabwean leader must work towards ending corruption and ensuring reforms are put in place.
“The economic crisis in Zimbabwe is causing its citizens great hardship. It’s time for the Mnangagwa government to work with, not against, its people to end corruption and implement reforms to restore the economy and end the suffering of its people,” committee said in a statement on Tuesday.
Washington has been consistent in its calls for Mnangagwa to end human rights abuses and institute reforms to ensure the democratic space is fully open in the country.
However, Zimbabwe has accused the US of meddling in its internal affairs and pursuing a regime change agenda working with civic society organisations in the country.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s scarf caused a storm in the National Assembly yesterday after Mutasa Central MP Trevor Saruwaka (MDC Alliance) questioned why he (ED) was allowed to put on the regalia in Parliament yet opposition legislators were barred from putting on clothing with national flag colours.
MDC legislators, including Saruwaka, used to put on national colours to protest the political and economic crisis in the country.
Saruwaka had a jacket in Zimbabwe’s flag colours, but each time he put it on, Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda would eject him from the House.
Mudenda then made a ruling banning the wearing of scarfs and jackets in national colours in the House.
Mudenda yesterday defended Mnangagwa’s scarf, saying “it is the President’s trademark”.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said the family of his late predecessor, Robert Mugabe, stands to lose more than 10 of its farms in line with the government policy of one farm per family.
The development comes at a time Mugabe’s sprawling empire faces further shaking after the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe re-claimed its 23 hectares of prime land along Borrowdale Road in Helensvale meant for the relocation of the prestigious Eaglesvale High School.
Speaking at a Zanu PF youth league convention at Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma, Mnangagwa, without mentioning any names, but in an apparent reference to Mugabe, said he was in possession of the provincial preliminary land audit report that showed a certain family owning several farms.
He said government would take more than 10 farms from that family and leave them with one, in line with what Mugabe used to preach on the policy of one family, one farm.
“This family in this province has many farms, although they used to preach against people having many farms. We are going to take some of the more than 10 farms from them that they have and leave them with one farm since that is what they preached,” Mnangagwa said.
The Zanu PF youth league has been pushing Mnangagwa to grab all farms belonging to former First Lady Grace Mugabe, amid speculation she owned at least 16 farms.
Meanwhile, the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe has reclaimed its Harare land allegedly grabbed by the former first family.
On Tuesday, a notice from the church showed they had taken effective control of their piece of land from the former first family.
“Notice of Eaglesvale Schools on instruction of the property owners. The Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk Sinode van midde Afrika registered under Deed of Transfer 4149/80. Under the custody of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe Daisyfield Trust,” the notice erected inside property read.
“No one is allowed to enter or occupy this land without the owner’s authority.”
Eaglesvale Senior School has been in fights with the Mugabes over the piece of land donated to it by RCZ close to 40 years ago and registered under the Eaglesvale Daisyfield Trust.
Efforts to get a comment from lawyers from either parties were fruitless, while the Mugabe family spokesperson, Leo, said he would not comment on property issues.
Meanwhile, Youth deputy minister, Tinoda Machakaire pleaded with Mnangagwa during the Zanu PF youth convention to fire lazy and corrupt ministers.
“Mr President, I read of a certain President in Africa who is in the habit of firing non-performing ministers and MPs,” Machakaire said.
“I plead with you President to behave the same and fire such and those who involved in corruption as this is destroying the party.”
Mnangagwa said he would today olso order retailers who increased the price of mealie-meal to reverse the hikes.
BY LORRAINE MUROMO/VENERANDA LANGA/NUNURAI JENA/MOSES MATENGA
ECONET Wireless founder Strive Masiyiwa and his wife, Tsitsi, through their Higher Life Foundation, have set up a $100 million fund which will see up to 2 000 junior and senior doctors employed by government getting $5 000 each on top of what they are earning from their employer.
The move comes at a time the public health delivery system in the country has virtually shut down due to a standoff between government and doctors following the firing of more than 435 junior doctors and around 57 senior doctors were set to face disciplinary action.
Masiyiwa also promised to give a smartphone, diagnostic aides and transport to the doctors on top of the $5 000 in the $100 million facility.
“Building on a 23-year commitment to education, Higher Life Foundation (HLF) is pleased to announce the launch of a new training fellowship for junior and senior resident officers employed at public healthcare institutions in Zimbabwe,” HLF said in a statement.
“… with that in mind, HLF is launching, the medical training completion fellowship with immediate effect for those junior and senior resident officers who are in full time employment at public teaching hospitals within Zimbabwe. The scholarship covers those who are currently undergoing a junior or senior resident programme, with special preference being given to beneficiaries of the Capernaum and Joshua Nkomo scholarships.”
The foundation said the $100 million fellowship comprises a non-negotiable monthly subsistence allowance of $5 000 per doctor for a maximum of 2 000 doctors and was subject to unilateral review by HLF.
“The monthly subsistence will be disbursed to qualifying junior and senior resident officers on proof of being on duty at the specified institution for the duration of the month,” the charity group said.
The foundation said the facility was not from Econet Wireless Zimbabwe or Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, but Higher Life Foundation, an initiative from the Masiyiwa Foundation with the support from its donor partners.
Meanwhile, striking senior doctors yesterday accused government of misleading the nation that it had secured huge quantities of drugs and essential equipment, saying public hospitals have become death traps with no equipment and or medicines.
“There was much fanfare and ribbon cutting, and images of warehouses full of drugs which turned out to be cartons of fluids. Out of an inventory of 2 000 items only 60 had been purchased. The Indian consignment was a great disappointment,” said the doctors in a statement. “The hospitals continue to be poorly stocked and remain a death trap even in the presence of hardworking, highly specialized workforce that Zimbabwe has.”
The Zimbabwe Senior Doctors Association said government should stop being vindictive and address the serious challenges facing the health sector where junior doctors have been on strike for 89 days demanding better wages.
“As we speak disciplinary letters are being handed to senior doctors including those who have been doing the best to save lives in the hostile public sectors. The authorities are so vindictive that they went to theatre to hand a letter to a doctor who was finishing up an emergency operation,” said the doctors.
But speaking at a Zanu PF youth convention in Kadoma yesterday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said government was not going back on firing doctors saying they were not a special breed. He accused the doctors of having a hidden agenda, claiming they were being paid money by enemies of the State to cause chaos.
“Let doctors get this very clear. They are not special to teachers, soldiers and other civil servants who are persevering in these economic hardships,” Mnangagwa said .
In a ministerial statement in Parliament last night, Health minister Obadiah Moyo blamed striking doctors and nurses for the massive deaths at hospitals.
Moyo did not give specific figures of how many deaths occurred during the strike as requested by Health Portfolio Committee chairperson Ruth Labode.
“They were not incapacitated in terms of transport and they were neglecting their duties and did not attend to patients. The number of patients that died at hospitals was as a result of doctors who stayed away and not government. Doctors took oath and those that stayed at work stations were supposed to attend to the patients,” he said.
Moyo said government has always had a policy to recruit doctors from outside under bilateral arrangements with countries like China, India and Cuba.
But MDC legislator Paurina Mpariwa said government must consider the cost of flying and accommodation for expatriate doctors compared to actually increasing salaries of the striking local medical practitioners.
Kuwadzana MP Miriam Mushayi blasted Moyo for concentrating on disciplining the doctors instead of negotiating with them. MDC legislator Lynette Karenyi-Kore also quizzed him over decline in maternity services to the extent that women were resorting to archaic birthing methods in Mbare. But Moyo said the maternity situation was addressed by the re-opening of Edith Opperman Maternity Clinic in Harare.
Moyo acknowledged the health crisis in the country saying only Chitungwiza Central Hospital was operating at 39%, while at other hospitals, the situation was dire because of shortages of drugs and equipment.
But he told Parliament that development partners like the Global Fund and World Bank had volunteered to assist government to incentivise the doctors.
THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC says it is tired of the political stand-off in the country and of government using the police to crush opposition activities and is, therefore, planning to roll out fresh protests, a top party official has revealed.
Police this year banned several MDC gatherings, saying they feared the events would turn violent, but the opposition party accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of using heavy-handed tactics to close the democratic space.
“Fellow Zimbabweans, brothers and sisters, my message to you all is that time for change is now. No one can free us, but ourselves. The debilitating crisis of Zimbabwe now demands action,” MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya said in a statement.
“The rogue regime is taking us down the garden path by promises of a better Zimbabwe. On November 17, 2017, we jumped from a frying pan into the fire after the coup. It is now time to pour into the streets and send a clear message to the dictator that enough is enough.”
Chibaya’s statement came a day after he was cleared by the courts on charges of attempting to overthrow Mnangagwa’s government during protests in January that started when government increased fuel prices by 150%.
Mnangagwa, who took over as leader of the southern African country after his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe — who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years — was ousted by his own generals in a coup two years ago.
Mugabe died at a Singapore hospital on September 6 and was privately buried 22 days later at his rural home in Zvimba following a nasty fallout with Mnangagwa.
Last week, police used batons, teargas and water cannons to beat up and disperse MDC supporters who had gathered outside their party headquarters in the capital to listen to a speech by Chamisa.
Two days later, Mnangagwa defended his record in an editorial opinion piece in international media, saying his administration was opening up political and media space.
Chibaya, however, said violence against members of his party by Mnangagwa’s government would not deter the opposition party from launching more protests to pressure the President to address the country’s political and economic challenges.
“The country is (now) rooted in entrenched dictatorship which does not require body massaging, but real action of sustained peaceful demonstrations,” he said.
“The streets should become our second homes. The recent infamous actions by police to crush our demonstrations should not deter us. Let them kill us all, but we die saving our future generations.”
The Mkoba legislator called upon State security members to sympathise with the protesters, instead of being used to crush them.
On Monday, MDC youths took to the Harare Magistrates’ Court to protest what they called State-assisted closure of democratic space, with the police denying them the right to hold public gatherings or demonstrations while the ruling Zanu PF enjoys unfettered freedom.
Nearly 20 youths led by Gift Ostallos Siziba, the youth assembly spokesperson, walked into the magistrates’ court with tape covering their mouths, accusing Mnangagwa’s government of using the police and courts to curtail political freedom for ordinary Zimbabweans.
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said authority for MDC to hold fresh protests would be determined by regulating authorities in areas where the opposition party plans to roll out the demonstrations.
“Notifications of demonstrations are not directed to Police General Headquarters where I am. So I am unable to give additional information on the planned demonstrations by MDC. We are not privy to such reports of planned demonstrations. As it stands and whether or not the demonstrations will be allowed is an issue for the commanders at districts. I cannot comment on their behalf,” Nyathi said.
Chamisa on Tuesday ordered his party structures to be vigilant and change tact to regain ground in the wake of an unofficial ban of his party business by the State.
Chamisa met Harare provincial structures on Tuesday, where he said there was need for the province to work extra hard to occupy “zones of autonomy” and devise strategies meant to counter the ban by police of the party gatherings.
Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said the MDC leader’s move to engage provinces was a deliberate strategy to deal with attempts to silence him by the Mnangagwa administration. “The activities he is bringing are meant to bring the party to the people and are a strategic move to make sure that the people are able to protect the organisation and are able to prevent this unofficial ban of the organisation by the State and the military. There is co-relation between that and the activities he is undertaking,” Sibanda said.
“He is aligning provinces with objectives of the congress and making sure the organs of the party are performing at their highest. All deployees in government and party should work and there is framework he is pursuing and that the party progresses and increases its strength.”
Harare province MDC chairman Wellington Chikombo said Chamisa, as the commander, was rallying his troops to work for change, which he said was nigh.
In the address, Chamisa is said to have told his councillors and MPs to be visible and take control of the streets, a statement viewed as pushing for more action on the ground. “He who controls the streets will define the State,” Chamisa reportedly told the meeting.
Board of Airlines Representatives chairperson and Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe president Winnie Muchanyuka has bemoaned the turbulence being experienced in the transport sector following the grounding of all airlines on Tuesday.
As previously reported by NewsDay on Tuesday, Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare downed tools on Monday and Tuesday, citing incapacitation and fatigue, forcing flight delays and cancellations.
Further, according to a letter from the Air Traffic Controllers’ Association of Zimbabwe (ATCAZ) to Transport minister Joel Biggie Matiza last month, ATCs noted the continued deterioration in air navigation communication performance.
“Any delays to departure of airlines inconvenience our customers and the airlines would want to avoid that. The delays also affect aircraft rotations as the aircraft would now arrive late at its destination causing subsequent delays on all the sectors the aircraft is rostered to operate on that day,” Muchanyuka said.
“However, we do not operate in a perfect environment and situations beyond anyone’s control can arise between the airlines and their service providers. We were in constant communication with the CAAZ (Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe) and minimal disruptions were caused to the operations and flights operated normally after 8am.”
Commenting on the letter sent by ATCAZ to Matiza, she said: “We can only deal with official communication and cannot go by what is on social media as we are unable to authenticate it. The said letter was not shared with the airlines”.
“I am unable to comment on the contents of the letter as operations have been normal except for yesterday (Tuesday),” Muchanyuka added. Matiza could not be reached for comment at the time of going to print.
The continued deterioration in the air navigation communication performance comes despite Treasury having committed US$110 million towards infrastructure projects at all airports this year.
In the 2020 national budget, under the 2020 infrastructure priority plan, about $4,5 billion was set aside for transport.
But, most of the money will go to the dualisation and upgrading of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, ongoing upgrading works on trunk roads, rehabilitation and maintenance of rural feeder roads through DDF and local authority roads.
GOVERNMENT, which is accused of rights abuses, got a rare pat on the back on Tuesday for its efforts towards improving policy framework to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) amid calls for a year-long campaign against violence.
In a joint statement to commemorate the start of the 16 days of activism against GVB, the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), National Art Gallery of Zimbabwe (Bulawayo), Victory Siyanqoba and Intwasa Arts Festival acknowledged government’s efforts towards eliminating GBV.
This year’s campaign runs under the theme: Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.
“We acknowledge concerted efforts by the government in improving the policy and legal framework to incorporate laws that seek to eliminate gender-based violence,” their joint statement read. They cited the enactment of the Criminal Law Act (2006), Domestic Violence Act (2007), the setting up of the Anti-Domestic Violence Council to enforce this law and the 2013 National Gender Policy of 2013 that sets out strategies to eliminate GBV. The strategies include the formulation of policies to protect women from GBV, eradicating harmful social practices, instituting gender audits and evidence-based research and documentation on GBV, including increased financing towards awareness activities.
“State and non-State actor collaborations should be enhanced so as to promote greater success (to attain) provisions of the Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other regional statutes to which the country is signatory to,” they added.
MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe weighed in calling on the campaign against GBV to run not only for 16 days, but throughout the year.
”Violence stands against our values as Africans, therefore, let us take action against the abuse of women and children. I would like to conclude by alluding to the fact that the campaign against gender-based violence must not be for the period during the 16 days that is from November 25 to December 10, but it must go throughout the 365 days,” Khupe said.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), about one in three women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence and about one in three women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 in Zimbabwe.
In June, the Spotlight Initiative — a four-year global UN programme supported by the European Union to fight GBV — was launched in Harare. Under the programme, Zimbabwe will receive US$34 million of the €500 million availed globally by the EU for GBV programmes at multiple levels. Zimbabwe is one of the eight countries in Africa to benefit from the fund.
The Supreme Court has given the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) a 30-day ultimatum to pay US$40 800 compensation plus costs to Rita Marque Mbatha, who was unceremoniously dismissed from employment after refusing to succumb to her former chief executive officer Farai Bwatikona Zizhou’s sexual advances.
Mbatha, who is now the director for Women’s Comfort Corner Foundation and a board member of the International Alliance of Women presented evidence in court, saying she endured sexual harassment by Zizhou, who later fired her from employment in June 2013, over a petty offence.
After being dismissed from employment, Mbatha reported CZI and Zizhou to the Labour Court, but lost the case, prompting her to appeal to the Supreme Court which then ruled in her favour on June 16, 2017.
When the apex court made a determination, it ordered CZI to pay compensation, but the amount was not quantified until November 25, 2019 when judges of appeal, Justices Ben Hlatshwayo, Tendai Uchena and Lavender Makoni unanimously agreed and issued an order in terms of the parties’ consent agreement.
“Whereupon after reading documents filed of record and hearing counsel, it is ordered by consent that: The appeal be and is hereby allowed with no order as to costs. The judgment of the Labour Court … be and is hereby set aside and substituted with the following, (1) the application for quantification of damages partially succeeds and accordingly the respondent (CZI) shall pay to the applicant (Rita Marque Mbatha) the following within 30 days of this order. (a) Damages for unfair dismissal at the salary rate of $1 157 037 from June 1, 2003 to May 31, 2005 = US$36 600. (b) Cash in lieu of notice = US$4 200, (c) cash in lieu of leave days = US$361, 30. (d) Interest on the total sum in a to c at the prescribed rate from the date of the court order to the date of payment in full,” the judges ruled.
The court, however, dismissed Mbatha’s claim for punitive damages. Mbatha has since filed another $500 000 lawsuit against CZI and Zizhou, saying the latter’s actions severely impacted on her marriage and her personal health. The matter is pending.
THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) has arrested Bean There Restaurant managing director Delny Deanna Ashley Davies on allegations of defrauding a fellow businessman of US$700 000.
Davies was picked up in Bulawayo on November 25.
In its request for remand document case number HCR. 73/11/2019, Zacc stated that Davies (43) committed fraud as defined in section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
Allegations are that sometime in November 2018, she hatched a plan to defraud the complainant Prince Abraham, managing director of Nedlac Automation based in South Africa and Nedlac Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd based in Zimbabwe of US$700 000, which she used to settle her loan with Zakanya Patel.
Zacc’s charge sheet states that pursuant to her plan, Davies approached Abraham and misrepresented to him that she had some free funds in South Africa and if the complainant had any payments to settle in the neighbouring country, she had the capacity to settle it.
In return, Abraham would then transfer US$700 000 into her account.
Abraham told Davies that his company had two major invoices which had to be settled to Nedlac Automation South Africa totalling R3 500 000.
The invoices were to be settled as R3 070 000 to Maggotteax South Africa for goods bought and delivered to PPC Bulawayo and R430 000 to Toyota Nelspruit for Nedlac Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd company vehicle.
“The accused instructed the complainant to deposit US$700 000 into FMC Finance Company Ecobank account and acting on the misrepresenting, on 26 November 2018, the complainant made two internal transfers of US$200 000 and US$500 000 into FMC Ecobank account through interbank banking using his Ecobank account,” Zacc papers state.
Zacc avers that Davies misrepresented that she had free funds in South Africa because she had a preconceived plan to swindle Abraham of his money to settle her loan with Patel.
“Investigations established that when the money was transferred into FMC Financial Services Ecobank account, US$72 000 financed an overdraft for FMC Financial Services and US$628 000 was transferred to a Steward Bank account, on instructions from Zakanya Patel,” Zacc stated.
Investigations also established that on November 29 2018, R450 000 was paid to Nedlac Automation South Africa FNB account by Davies and she converted a balance of R3 050 000 to her own use.
Zacc stated that investigations further revealed that Davies made another deposit of R110 0000 into Nedlac Automation FNB account.
“The accused person’s conduct caused an actual prejudice of US$664 200 and a total of US$7 432 was recovered,” the charge sheet read.
Davies on Tuesday appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya and was granted $5 000 bail before being remanded to December 11 for trial.
Gweru residents will have to absorb a massive increase in tariffs next year if the council’s proposed $2 billion 2020 budget is approved by the Local Government ministry.
The local authority has proposed a $2,2 billion budget up from this year’s $46 million, with the burden expected to be passed on to the already financially struggling ratepayers.
In a financial statement to the proposed budget, acting finance director, Owen Masimba said in coming up with the proposed budget, council had considered budgeting for capital projects which have previously been suspended and also the prevailing exchange rate which has seen the skyrocketing of procured goods needed for service delivery.
“The 2020 budget proposal is based on the need to budget for capital projects which have been suspended,” he said.
“This is also based on actual quotations we got from suppliers using the prevailing exchange rate. This year’s budget is $46 million because when we did it the exchange rate then was 1:1. But since we are now using our local currency, the budget proposed is $2, 292, 117, 879.”
He said they had to use the inter-bank rate in calculating the budget since goods and services were also increasing at that rate.
Masimba said while council was trying to have a pro-poor budget, it was driven by the prevailing market forces to finance its operations.
“Before the removal of the 1:1 exchange rate by the government, we were paying $221 000 for our electricity bill, in September it was $1,1 million and this month it’s at $2,9 million. (On) water chemicals, we had budgeted $26 000, but we have been quoted $1,2 million,” he said.
“We were also charged for three broken pumps an equivalent of US$40 000 for repairs done in Harare and now to redeem them that company is asking for $948 000, which is far (more than the previous) amount. So while we try to be pro-poor we are working with what is prevailing on the market.”
But Gweru Residents Forum director, Charles Mazorodze said council should not expect residents to foot its budget increase through high tariffs as they (residents) were already struggling to pay the current rates. Mazorodze said council was not a money-making organisation, but should rather implement strategies that generate income instead of relying on ratepayers.
“The budget increase from this year to next year’s budget is by more than $1,9 billion,” he said.
“Obviously the burden will eventually fall on already struggling residents, who will have to brace for massive rates hike. But we are saying when city fathers hold their strategic meetings to run the city they should always think outside the box. They need to come up with income-generating projects.”
