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.

By Praisemore Sithole

BULAWAYO vendors on Thursday joined the world in commemorating the International Street Vendors Day, which ran under the theme “Unity is our Strength”.

Informal traders commemorate International Street Vendors Day on November 14 each year.

Bulawayo Vendors and Traders Association (BVTA) executive director Michael Ndiweni said the day was special because it showed the strength and unity of vendors.

“This day is very important and special because it demonstrates the strength and unity of vendors as they thrive for the growth of the economy,” he told Southern Eye.

“Vendors contribution to the economy has been constantly ignored, especially in Zimbabwe but they constitute about 60% of the economy and we are striving to reach about 80%.”

Ndiweni said they were constantly engaging the local authority to ensure the protection of vendors against harassment.

“We salute street vendors, who have endured harassment and confiscation of their wares, yet still continue to fend for families, while their contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product,” he said.

“In this vein, we are calling for due recognition of the contribution of street vendors to the national economy and government and its various agencies to deal with challenges faced by vendors.”

Ndiweni called for urgent decriminalisation of vending, reiterating his call for a strategy to transition from street vending to formal trading.

“Some of the problems of vendors such as being harassed have emanated from the legal framework; therefore some of the laws have to be changed to reduce harassment,” he said.

He urged the government to tailor-make social security schemes for street vendors, especially women.

“We have engaged with the council so that vendors can pay taxes. This will reduce the harassment of vendors as they will enjoy protection from council.”

BY Stephen Chadenga

A LOCAL governance expert, Vincent Chakunda, has called for legislative framework that ensures that public officials declare their assets to avoid looting and abuse of public resources.

Speaking recently at a Public Finance Management workshop organised by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (Zimcodd) in Gweru, Chakunda said it was ironic that despite their low salaries and allowances, civil servants and politicians became rich overnight with untraceable wealth.

“Government employees and other public officials should have wealth that is traceable,” Chakunda said.

“We can’t have public officials who become millionaires overnight. We should have a public management system that ensures that public officials do not generate wealth through corruption.”

Chakunda said the Public Management Act should be strengthened to deal with graft, which he said had destroyed the economy.

He said it was disheartening that public officials who got their wealth through corruption were being treated as enterprising people when they should be arrested.

Chakunda said there was need to deal with institutionalised corruption which he said had become a cancer in the country.

“We may have good laws but as long as we don’t transform government institutions in the way they operate, we will continue to face serious corruption,” he said.

Experts say some of the wealthiest people in Zimbabwe are senior civil servants and politicians.

In 2009, then Speaker of the House of Assembly, Lovemore Moyo, promised that he would fight to ensure that all legislators declared their assets and the assets register be kept at Parliament.

The pledge by Moyo, however, suffered a stillbirth with critics suggesting that it was resisted because most public officials had “skeletons in their cupboards”.

BY RUVIMBO MUCHENJE

People living with impairments (PLWIs), who constitute 15% of Zimbabwe’s population, are being excluded from the electoral discourse because of communication barriers, a Deaf Zimbabwe Trust (DZT) official has said.

Speaking at a National Youth Organisation (Nayo)-organised election accountability dialogue in Harare recently, DZT programmes manager Paidamoyo Chimhini said: “The communication channels used by duty bearers to communicate to the electorate deny people living with impairments a chance to be active participants in the national discourse.”

She added that inclusion is expensive and duty bearers tend to forgo it at the expense of PLWIs.

“Inclusion can be quite expensive and many times people forego it. There is need for an interpreter and even a venue that people in wheelchairs can access,” Chimhini said.

She lauded political parties that included sign language during the campaign period, but urged them to go beyond rallies in accommodating and implementing the views of PLWIs.

“There are some political parties that had interpreters during the campaign period, but now in office during engagements they do not accommodate people living with impairments,”
Chimhini noted, adding that appointment of only two senate representatives for people with disability was a sham because they cannot adequately represent 15% of the population.

“Two individuals who purport to represent this special group are not chosen by the disabled and they are too few to represent 15% of the population,” she said.

Nayo programmes manager MacDonald Munyoro said young people with impairments cannot actively participate in politics because they were being excluded.

“When most of these councillors or MPs conduct their consultations through the parliamentary portfolio committees, they are not disability inclusive. In their consultations, they do not have sign language, they do not have braille. Some of the venues where they hold their meetings are actually not even accessible. And this always keeps away persons with disabilities,” he said.

Munyoro said in the consultations they held in all the 10 provinces, young PLWIs bemoaned unequal opportunities as the major reason for their limited participation.

“One of the biggest issues that came from the young people with disability was the need for inclusion. And as part of inclusion one thing that they raised the most was the need for opportunities. Opportunities that are the same and similar to any child who is out there who is able-bodied,” he said.