BY FARAI MATIASHE

MEDIA Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe Chapter director Thabani Moyo has called on internet governance stakeholders to move their focus from geographical to continental approaches when fighting the clampdown of online platforms by the State and its apparatus.

In January this year, during protests over a 150% fuel price increase, the government responded by shutting down the internet to restrict access to information.

Addressing a regional multi-stakeholder workshop in Harare yesterday, Moyo said there was need for stakeholders to strengthen their voices in fighting internet freedom rights violations as a collective rather than in isolation.

“Sadc has set out parameters through its cyber security model laws and the African Union model laws on data protection, among others, which our respective member States are utilising or adopting to strengthen their stranglehold on the internet. Therefore, the countries of southern Africa are speaking to and advising each other on how to shrink online space,” he said.

“This requires that our focus as stakeholders moves from geographical centric interventions by taking a bird’s eye view towards regional or continental approaches of galvanising voices that stand in solidarity when attacks of online platforms are emerging. That movement needs to be strengthened because when democracy is on retreat that is the only solidarity that is the first line of defence.”

Moyo said there had been a shift by African governments from shutting down of the internet to use of high costs to minimise the number of people who access the internet on the continent.

“Going forward, we believe that the three As are critical. The issue of availability of the platforms, we need to be galvanised to be a defence line against wanton shutdown or threatening of the internet, issues of affordability. From the reports that are emerging, it shows that there is a strategic shift from wanton shut downs to high costs to inhibit usage of online platforms,” he
said.

Moyo said to ensure that people remained online, there was need for multi-stakeholders including those from the academia, government, civil society groups, regulators and the media to come up with effective strategies that recognise the significance of the internet to democracy in the country.

According to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe, there has been a decline in the use of the internet in the country. In December 2018, there was 62,9% of the country’s population that had access to the internet and that had dropped to 57,2% by June this year.

BY TERRY MADYAUTA

FC PLATINUM gaffer Lizwe Sweswe has vowed to stop Highlanders’ unbeaten streak when the two teams meet at Mandava Stadium tomorrow as he targets top spot on the Castle Lager Premier League log.

The champions are aiming for their third straight league title and face a tough hurdle when they take on a Bosso side that has not lost in its last 10 league matches.

Highlanders last lost a league match in August against Triangle but they drew six other matches.

Bosso have been a different side since Dutchman Pieter de Jongh took over in September.

But Sweswe sees an opportunity for his side to continue exerting pressure on their title rivals Caps United and Chicken Inn and he is not reading much into Highlanders’ impressive numbers.

The miners approach this blockbuster clash in high spirits, having triumphed in their previous encounter against Manica Diamonds on Wednesday while also riding on the fact that Mandava stadium has not been a favourable hunting ground for Highlanders in recent times.

Bosso will hope to bounce back to winning ways after settling for a share of spoils with Ngezi Platinum during a mid-week fixture played at Barbourfields stadium.

“The mid-week result goes a long way in motivating us for this very important match against Highlanders,” said Sweswe.

“They (Highlanders) have been doing good and their statistics for the last matches are impressive but we are not going to read much into that.

“Our main goal is to collect three points at the end of the day because dropping points at this stage of the season would put all our objectives in jeopardy.”

Former Highlanders skipper Rahman Kutsanzira will be looking to inflict pain on his former paymasters, and from the other end former FC Platinum midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku returns to Zvishavane for the first time since he left the club.

By SIMBARASHE SITHOLE

FOUR Shamva gold miners were yesterday fined $300 each by Bindura provincial magistrate Tinashe Ndokera for setting their employer’s shed ablaze in a dispute over gold.

Ranganai Bvumbu (58), Tobias Masiya (36), Tinashe Mavhu and Dzikamai Kagonda, all from Annandale
Farm, Shamva — were fined for malicious damage to property after trial.

Failure to pay the $300 fine would attract a 20-day jail term for each.

Prosecutor Vincent Marunya told the court that on October 25, the quartet stormed Kadisi Mining Syndicate offices in Shamva looking for their employer, Fore Joana (47), whom they accused of duping them of huge sums of money realised from the sale of gold.

They shouted at Joana before uprooting a pole and grass shed on the mine.

In a fit of rage, Kagonda set the shed on fire and went away.

Joana subsequently filed a police report, leading to their arrest.

In their defence, the quartet said the fire was caused by juju, which they said they had sought from a sangoma in Nyamapanda to boost their business.

The magistrate did not take their defence and convicted them.

BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA

FORMER Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) finance director Simon Mudzingwa Taranhike has been jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of criminal abuse of office.

Harare regional magistrate Hosea Mujaya initially sentenced Taranhike to 30 months in prison before suspending six months on condition of good behaviour and nine months on condition that he restitutes 1 800 litres of fuel to Zinara before December 31, 2019.

In passing sentence, Mujaya said he took into consideration that Taranhike was a first offender and a family man.

Mujaya said it is true that Taranhike did not directly benefit from the commission of the offence. He further stated that Taranhike lost his job as a result of the offence.

The court, Mujaya said, could not turn a blind eye on corruption and should pass an exemplary sentence.

Before Mujaya passed sentence, Taranhike’s lawyer Purity Chikangaise, in mitigation, submitted that he should consider that Taranhike is a first offender therefore he is supposed to be treated with lenience.

Chikangaise pleaded with the court to fine Taranhike and make him restitute Zinara.

The State argued that a custodial sentence would be appropriate.

It also proved that Taranhike abused the Zinara fuel facility when he authorised the issuance of 1 800 litres of petrol (Puma) coupons to a State media journalist.

The convict did not follow Zinara procedures, thereby causing his employer to be prejudiced of fuel worth RTGS$6 354, the State argued.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

COACH Joey Antipas is caught up in one of the busiest schedules of his career as he juggles between his duties with the Warriors in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers and his club Chicken Inn, who are eyeing the 2019 league title.

Soon after the Warriors’ Group H Afcon qualifier against Botswana’s Zebras at the National Sports
Stadium yesterday evening, Antipas is expected to be in Bulawayo today to preside over the GameCocks as they take on relegation-threatened Hwange at Luveve Stadium.

After the Chicken Inn game, he returns to Harare to rejoin the Warriors before they leave for Zambia where they clash with the hosts in another Group H Afcon qualifier at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on Tuesday.

Chicken Inn secretary Tavengwa Hara yesterday confirmed Antipas will be at Luveve this afternoon.

The GameCocks cannot afford not to have their coach as the race for the league title gathers momentum with four games to go, continuing their tussle with Caps United and FC Platinum.

Chicken Inn beat Mushowani Stars at Trojan Mine on Wednesday to take the top spot before Caps
United reclaimed pole position on Thursday after beating ZPC Kariba who are out of the title race on 45 points, nine points behind the Green Machine who rule the roost on 54 points ahead of their match against Yadah tomorrow.

Chicken Inn and reigning champions FC Platinum are both two points behind Caps United with the GameCocks on the second spot by a superior goal difference as the Zvishvane-based side host on-the-roll Highlanders at Mandava tomorrow.

After beating Triangle at Luveve Stadium last Saturday, Antipas was on the road to Harare on Monday to prepare the Warriors for the Zebras’ tie and on Wednesday he was at Trojan Mine for Mushowani Stars game.

Meanwhile, Hwange, hard-pressed for an outright win against Chicken Inn as they seek to remain in the top league, return to Luveve where they played a goalless draw with Bulawayo Chiefs on Sunday.

They are on position 16 with 32 points, at par with Herentals who lead them by a goal difference and host Mushowani Stars at the National Sports Stadium today.

Mushowani anchor the log-standings with 30 points.

Fixtures

Today: TelOne v Triangle (Ascot), Chicken Inn v Hwange (Luveve), Herentals v Mushowani (NSS), Ngezi Platinum Stars v Chapungu (Baobab), FC Platinum v Highlanders (Mandava)

Tomorrow: Manica Diamonds v Bulawayo Chiefs (Vengere), Dynamos v Black Rhinos (Rufaro), Yadah v Caps United (NSS), ZPC Kariba v Harare City (Nyamhunga)

Editorial Comment

FINANCE minister Mthuli Ncube, in presenting his 2020 National Budget on Thursday, which he said marked the end of “austerity measures”, missed an opportunity to indeed pave the way for real relief for a burdened population battling to make ends meet as the economy continues on its downward spiral.

Many people were already battling to afford basic foodstuffs such as mealie-meal and bread, and yet their prices are set to skyrocket once more following the removal of subsidies for grain imports.

The majority of people were hoping that this budget would demonstrate government’s commitment to alleviate ordinary people’s suffering, but it is likely to deepen the hardship as the “festive” season fast approaches against a grim backdrop of high prices of basic goods.

Ncube’s proposal for the government-owned Grain Marketing Board and grain millers in the country to source their own foreign currency to import grain for resale at market prices will only serve to push the prices of staple foods out of control. Grain millers, who will import grain and wheat, will likely purchase foreign currency on the parallel market and that will have a huge impact on their pricing mechanism.

While Ncube opted to use the moderate phrase that “prices of basic commodities such as bread and mealie-meal may adjust” we are quite aware they can only adjust upwards, exerting more pressure on an already heavily-burdened population that was hoping for some good news from the budget, especially as government had been preaching the gospel of the end of the austerity measures that have been used to justify the increase in prices of basic commodities before.

Although the minister indicated that the subsidies had become prone to abuse, there was need to think through the change of tact without creating a situation that would punish the innocent.

It raises more questions why government would continue supporting the Command Agriculture programme, which is under probe by Parliament after failing to account for US$3 billion in public money, yet the financial authorities are alleging abuse of food aid for its citizens.

Funny enough, it’s the ruling Zanu PF party which has always been caught in the crosswires of food aid abuse.

Government should stop beating about the bush and, instead, go after the bush.

A nation with hungry people is not stable. Already, people are failing to put decent meals on the table, and worse is coming next year when some of Ncube’s warped reforms kick in.

BY Patricia Sibanda

A VIOLENT storm blew off classroom rooftops at Ntambala Primary School in Bulilima soon after a parents’ meeting at the school on Tuesday afternoon, although no one was injured.

Bulilima Rural District Council chairperson John Brown Ncube confirmed the incident, which destroyed stationery at the school.

“Both text and exercise books were damaged and there is need to replace those because pupils will not be able to learn without proper essentials,” he said.

He said $34 000 was needed to repair destroyed infrastructure and $18 000 for the textbooks.

Ncube said as soon as reconstruction starts, they would make sure that the department of Forestry would facilitate the planting of trees.

“We will be working with the department of forestry to plant trees that will act as windbreakers because the school is situated on bare ground where there are no trees or vegetation. The planting of trees will indeed be of great difference,” he said.

Ncube appealed to well-wishers to assist because children deserved to learn in a safe environment.

“We would be really grateful and esteemed if there are people who want to help because we really need all the support that we can get. Children are learning from outside, which is not safe at all because it is the rainy season and they might get sick. Learning is taking place but it is impossible to work without all learning materials,” he said.