By Brooks Marmon

At the time of his death, Phineas Ferani Sithole was the earliest (and likely only) surviving leader of a Zimbabwean liberation movement.

Sithole, a prominent trade unionist and pan-African politician from the 1960s to 1980s, briefly served as a MP in the short-lived Zimbabwe-Rhodesia government in the late 1970s. For a decade following independence in 1980, he opposed Robert Mugabe’s efforts to create a one-party State. He was a former president of the African Trade Union Congress (ATUC) and a close colleague of prominent nationalist leaders like Jason Z Moyo and Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole. In his memoir, former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai stated that his attendance at an address by Sithole in 1973 inspired him to become a labour activist. Sithole fell into obscurity after abandoning party politics in the early 1990s.

Sithole was born in 1931 in Selukwe, Southern Rhodesia (now Shurugwi, Zimbabwe). His father was employed as a miner at Shabani Mines. Sithole was educated at Mzingwane Secondary School and was trained as a teacher at Solusi Mission.

His political consciousness was awakened in April 1947 when he was forced to join a greeting party for King George VI and the Royal Family during their visit to Cecil Rhodes’ grave. In 1958, as political tensions across Africa and in Southern Rhodesia were escalating, Sithole switched careers, abandoning teaching and joining a Bulawayo blanket factory, Consolidated Textiles, as an accounts clerk.

He quickly became active in the Textile and Allied Workers’ Union. One of Sithole’s first engagements as a labour activist was to successfully lobby for a minimum wage. When the Southern Rhodesian government declared an emergency in 1959 and banned the nationalist movement, he was one of several hundred figures detained without charge.

In 1962, he became involved in party politics as the founding vice-president of the short-lived Pan-African Socialist Union (PASU). That October, he travelled to New York with party president Paul Mushonga. In an address before the United Nations, Sithole condemned the Rhodesian government as “a vicious minority settler team bent on perpetuating white supremacy.” Upon his return to Rhodesia, customs officials at Salisbury Airport delayed him for approximately 90 minutes and confiscated many of his documents. He was subsequently charged with possessing subversive propaganda material and received a 12-month jail term.

Following Mushonga’s death in a car accident that December, Sithole became PASU’s acting president. In early 1963, alongside Wiseman Zengeni (who subsequently became one of only three non-Zanu PF candidates retained at the 1990 parliamentary election) he toured several west African capitals on behalf of the party. Later that year, he brought PASU into the fold of the newly created Zimbabwe African National Union under the leadership of Reverend Sithole.
Following this merger, he reverted to leadership roles in trade union circles and from which he continued to vigorously oppose white minority rule. As the President of the ATUC, he leveraged his role as a spokesperson for 50 000 black industrial workers to advance the nationalist cause.
Sithole spoke out against the new Rhodesian constitution and Prime Minister Ian Smith’s declaration of a republic in 1970. He resoundingly condemned Rhodesia’s ultimately unsuccessful efforts to reach an independence settlement in early 1972 with the British.

Phineas continued to support Reverend Sithole after the latter was ousted as Zanu’s leader in the mid-1970s. He became the national chairman of the Reverend’s Zanu wing, Zanu-Ndonga, in 1977, a position he held for over a decade. During the short-lived internal settlement between the minority settler government and several black groups, Phineas served in the 1979 Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Parliament, representing Matabeleland North. After independence, he frequently clashed with the new government of Robert Mugabe. He condemned widespread government perpetrated
violence in Matabeleland, the Gukurahundi atrocities of the early 1980s, as “a pretext” to crush opposition. In 1983, he was arrested by the Mugabe government and subsequently imprisoned for over a year. He abandoned party politics following the 1990 election campaign, after he fared poorly in his campaign for the Mpopoma parliamentary seat and had a fall out with Reverend Sithole.

Sithole passed away on October 27 in Bulawayo five days after his 88th birthday. He is survived by his wife and many children and grandchildren. He resided in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, with one of his daughters.

•Brooks Marmon is a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. Follow him @AfricaInDC

BY Richard Muponde

Zanu PF has been fingered in the chaos over the Bindura University of Science Education (Buse) students representative committee (SRC) elections which have been postponed indefinitely.

The elections were supposed to be held on Monday after the suspension of the incumbent executive aligned to Zinasu.

Buse SRC president Nelson Madondo and five of his executive members were recently suspended for undisclosed reasons, three months before the expiry of their term of office.

Reports suggested that university authorities were irked by the hardline stance by the student leadership and its involvement in opposition politics and wanted to replace it with a Zanu PF-aligned Zimbabwe Congress of Students Union (Zicosu).

Chaos reportedly reigned at the university with daggers drawn against university authorities.

Students are reportedly demanding reasons for the indefinite postponement of the elections without involving stakeholders.

They have also challenged authorities to come clean on their siding with Zicosu after reports that the Zanu PF Mashonaland provincial youth league was dictating terms of the polls.

The election is pitting Doctor Mahwata of Zinasu and Cedric Bhala of Zicosu.

Buse dean of studies Retias Makado said he was not authorised to comment, but admitted that the elections were postponed while denying allegations against authorities.

“I am not allowed to speak to the Press, but all are lies. We postponed the elections yes, but we are not in favour of any side. It’s not true. The elections are open to everyone. Anyway speak to James Gutura the director of public relations and protocol, he will give you the university’s position,” Makado said.

Gutura’s cellphone was not being answered.

Mahwata’s campaign manager, Shadreck Shingi said: “They have seen from the campaigns we have done that Zinasu has an upper hand and was going to win and retain the executive. The dean of studies is refusing to give a statement on the postponement of the elections. They are in favour of Zicosu as they view Zinasu as opposition aligned.”

Zanu PF Mashonaland provincial youth league chairman, Ruwizhi Ferenando could be reached for comment.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

Tired Triangle just can’t get a breather as their demanding fixture schedule takes them back to Bulawayo this afternoon for a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match against Chicken Inn.

Their participation in the Caf Confederation Cup saw the Lowveld side falling behind in both the league and cup fixtures.

They played the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match against Harare City on Wednesday in Harare and today Taurai Mangwiro’s side are back on the road.

Triangle played a Caf Confederation Cup play-off first leg tie in Mauritania against FC Nouadhibou on October 27 which they lost 2-0 and flew back home and travelled to Bulawayo three days later to play the second leg which they won 3-2, but bowed out of the continental competition.

They left Bulawayo on Tuesday to play a Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final against Harare City on Wednesday at Rufaro Stadium and failed in their quest to defend the trophy when they lost to the Sunshine City Boys in a penalty shoot-out.

On Thursday night, they were back in the City of Kings for the outstanding league tie against Chicken Inn today and Mangwiro says fatigue is beginning to manifest in his boys.

“It has been very taxing, but that is what is there. We have to psyche our players and hope to get a good result. We are already in Bulawayo and disappointed at not being able to defend the Chibuku Super Cup and now we have to shift focus on the local league where we have fallen behind and lost so much ground. We need to ensure we finish on a high; at least higher than our position last year,” he said.

Mangwiro said despite the set-backs and the gruelling travelling, everyone is geared up for the Chicken Inn game.

“Everyone is focused, but fatigue is creeping in and we risk injuries because of the strain coming from the fixture congestion but the medical team is working around the clock and we hope to field a strong team against Chicken Inn,” Mangwiro said.

Chicken Inn, with 46 points and perched on the third spot, have been inconsistent in the league but have a chance to close in on log-leaders Caps United this afternoon.

FC Platinum, in the second spot, with 49 points also lost their last game to relegation-fighting Bulawayo Chiefs at Mandava.

The Joey Antipas-coached Chicken Inn lost to Highlanders, drew with Chapungu and Black Rhinos, went on to beat the log-leaders Caps before losing to Harare City in their last five games and they are five points behind the Green Machine with a game in hand.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

Legislators were yesterday urged to monitor the government in issuing birth certificates, identity documents and other particulars to prevent statelessness.

The call was made yesterday by senate deputy president Mike Nyambuya at a United Nations High Commission for Refugees dialogue with Parliamentarians on nationality and statelessness in Zimbabwe.

The meeting, held at a hotel in Vumba, was meant to dialogue on the significance of the 1961 Convection on the reduction of statelessness and the recommended legal safeguards in addressing the problem.

In his keynote address at the start of the three-day workshop, Nyambuya said statelessness was a major concern in the country and across the globe.

“As MPs, we need to enact laws that address the different challenges which may cause statelessness, for example some children are born of parents where the father and mother are from different countries and therefore, there is confusion on which country they belong to,” he said.

“Members of Parliament must monitor the bureaucratic behaviour of governments in issuing birth certificates, identity documents and other particulars so that people do not become stateless.

“Statelessness is caused by excessive requirements for documentation, migratory workers, broken family ties, unaccompanied minors and situations of discrimination of populations for example women; the consequences of statelessness are poverty, failure to get identity documents, failure to get education, food insecurity, lack of housing and formal employment.”

Nyambuya said statelessness occurred for a variety of reasons, which include gender discrimination, discrimination against minority groups, failure to include all habitual residents in the body of citizens when a state becomes independent.

“Approximately 12 million people are stateless and statelessness can have a terrible impact on the lives of individuals and the problem of statelessness can be prevented through adequate nationality legislation and procedures as well as universal birth registration,” he said.

BY FARAI MATIASHE

Women’s rights organisations have criticised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly rewinding the clock several years backwards by appointing an all-male new team of top government officials, ignoring the 50/50 gender clause stipulated in the Constitution.

Mnangagwa on Wednesday appointed Zvinechimwe Churu as the secretary for the Local government ministry, Aaron Nhepera as the Homes Affairs ministry secretary, Melusi Matshiya as the secretary for Women Affairs ministry, former ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa as the chief of protocol and another ex-diplomat, Raphel Faranisi as the head of the secretariat in the Office of the President.

Women in Politics Support Unit executive director Sakhile Sifelani-Ngoma yesterday told Newsday Weekender that her organisation was deeply concerned with the trend of public sector appointments that demonstrated limited political will to meet the constitutional standard of gender parity in representation in the public sector.

“It is through the failure of various members of the Executive to respect the Constitution as they exercise their powers to appoint that we begin to question the reform agenda as it pertains to the rights of women to have equal representation in the public sector in State institutions, parastatals and State enterprises,” she said.

“Moreover, this negative trend in public appointments greenlights such negative trends in the private sector where women are glaringly excluded from the top echelons of leadership.”

In the Women Affairs ministry, Mnangagwa replaced former ambassador Rudo Chitiga, a woman, with Matshiya, a man.

Sifelani-Ngoma said Mnangagwa’s administration was depriving women of their right to be included in top posts as enshrined in the Constitution.

“If the State can’t meet constitutional standards in its day-to-day management systems, it will be difficult to provide leadership to the country to demonstrate commitment to the 50/50 in wards and constituencies. Women have a right to lead and if they cannot be found even in the Women Affairs ministry where will they be found?” she questioned.

Imba Mukadzi director Siphathisiwe Moyo said Mnangagwa was betraying the gender balance gains which had been attained a couple of years ago.

“We are going back. Look at Rwanda which is at 52% gender balance and South Africa our neighbour which has 50% gender balance. This is retrogressing that a woman permanent secretary is even removed from the Women Affairs ministry and replaced with a man,” she said.

Women and Law in Southern Africa director Fadzai Traquino said Mnangagwa’s recent move to sideline women in his administration was unconstitutional.

“Take note of Section 17 (b)(ii) which says the State must take all measures, including legislative measures needed to ensure that women constitute at least half of the members of commissions and other elective and appointed government bodies established by or under this
Constitution or any Act of Parliament. The language is not ambiguous therefore any list of appointment that doesn’t meet this requirement, it is only fair to say is unconstitutional,” she said.

“We should be using the reappointment or shuffling to self-correct by replacing some posts with more women in order to meet the 50:50 target. Any posts occupied by women should be replaced by a female. Moreso, for the Women Affairs ministry such a high post in the ministry as a matter of principle should be occupied by a woman. The ministry already has a number of male directors, now a male permanent secretary. We are reinforcing male dominance for a ministry that is supposed to deal with gender equality.”

BY FORTUNE MBELE

Caps United’s title chase could hit turbulent waters with four key players in danger of getting banned following allegations of assaulting referee Happy Mabhena in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) match against Chicken Inn on October 23.

Forwards Dominic Chungwa, John Zhuwawu and Roland Chitiyo, as well as defender Carlos Rusere, have been summoned to a hearing on Wednesday to answer allegations of assaulting the referee as well as Chicken Inn officials.

If found guilty, they could face long bans and miss out on the team’s title run in, with five matches left before the end of the season. Caps currently sit at the top of the PSL log table with a two-point cushion over second-placed FC Platinum, while Chicken Inn could reduce the deficit to a couple of points if they win against Triangle today.

The quartet have been charged for violating order 31.1.2.9 of the PSL rules and regulations which state that it is an offence on the part of the player who: “Assaults, threatens, intimidates, coerces, interferes, misleads or insults a match official, player, official of the league, public, press or media, or any other person, before, during or after the match.”

Caps players walked off the pitch after Chicken Inn was awarded a penalty by Mabhena in the second half and only returned after the intervention of their coaches. After the match, some of the players allegedly manhandled the referee and are said to have assaulted PSL security personnel and Chicken Inn officials, destroying property in the dressing rooms.

Last year, Liberty Chakoroma, formerly with Ngezi Platinum Stars, was found guilty of assaulting assistant referee Edgar Rumeki at Baobab Stadium on September 22 in a Chibuku Super Cup first round match against Herentals.

Ngezi Platinum Stars lost the game and Chakoroma was subsequently banned for three matches and missed out on a chance to be selected among the Castle Lager Soccer Stars of the Year.

He was also made to pay a fine.

Caps’ title tilt is already stuttering, with the team failing to win in their last three matches, including the one against Chicken Inn.

The Green Machine lost to TelOne and were held by relegation-threatened Herentals in the other two matches.

This saw their lead sliced from five to two points by FC Platinum.

For the October 23 skirmishes, the club has also been summoned to appear before the disciplinary committee on the same day for breaching Order 31.1.23 which states it is an offence if: “It’s officials, players, servants or duly authorised (express implied) representatives assault, threaten, intimidate, coerce, interfere, mislead or insult a match official, player, official of the League, public, press or media, or any other person, before, during or after any match” and Order 31.2.11 which border on failure by the club to protect match officials against acts of violence.

Chicken Inn won the game 1-0 through a penalty scored by Passmore Bernard.

Meanwhile, TelOne has been found guilty of instigating violence during their league match against Herentals on August 10 at Ascot Stadium and they have been fined $15 000 of which $2 500 was suspended for the rest of the season on condition they do not commit a similar offence.

Their fitness trainer, Bazel Sanyanga was found guilty and fined $9 500 for violent conduct during the match.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Hwange have also been fined $10 000 for the poor state of the pitch at the Colliery when they played Chicken Inn on July 14.

Chicken Inn lost that match 2-1.

by RICHARD MUPONDE

A CHIPINGE village head was left counting losses after his homestead was torched by his subject who accused the traditional leader of bewitching him and harbouring intentions to evict him from the village.

This came to light during the appearance of Joseph Kuwayani (43) of Mutowe Village under Chief Musikavanhu before Chipinge magistrate, Joshua Nembaware, facing charges of malicious damage to property.

He was convicted on his own plea of guilty.

In mitigation, Kuwayani said he was remorseful for his actions as he committed the offence in anger after the village head had threatened to bewitch him.

“I am sorry for my actions Your Worship. I was angry after the village head threatened to bewitch me and also evict me from my homestead. I am asking for your lenience when passing sentence,’ said Kuwayani.

He was sentenced to 20 months in prison of which five months were conditionally suspended for five years. A further five months was suspended on condition he restitutes the complainant $5 000 on or before February 28 in 2020.

Prosecutor Shamiso Ncube told the court that on October 13, this year, Kuwayani was drinking at Daisyhill Business Centre in Chipinge.

He then gathered that the village head, Edgar Garwi (72), was planning to chase him away from the village.

The news did not amuse him.

He left the business centre and passed through another villager, Gift Ngirandi’s homestead where he asked for a box of matches. He was given the match box without divulging his intentions.

Kuwayani then proceeded to Garwi’s homestead where he set alight one of the thatched huts.

He went and hid behind another hut before setting it on fire too.

He escaped from the homestead, but was positively identified by one of the villagers who had reacted to the inferno. Property worth $5 000 was destroyed.

A police report was made, leading to his arrest.

By DARLINGTON MWASHITA/PATRICIA SIBANDA/PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

POLICE in partnership with Save the Children is working towards connecting its database with the Interpol to track paedophiles and other child abusers and molesters to combat cases of child online abuse.

This emerged during a Cyber Security indaba held in Bulawayo on Thursday, where it was revealed that cases of child online abuse such as sexual grooming and cyber-bullying, among others, were on the rise.

The conference was held under the theme Cyber Security: Our shared responsibility.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) acting Staff Officer Superintendent Francis Mutema said police have made efforts towards tackling cases of online child abuse.

Mutema cited a partnership with Save the Children to connect to theInterpol’s International Child Exploitation database to assist in tracking child abusers.

“This database will allow Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) to upload images and videos, obtain information on identified victims and sexual offenders thus be able to identify and safeguard more children and apprehend more offenders, more importantly prevent further distribution of child sexual exploitation material and deal more effectively with travelling child sex offenders,” Mutema said.

“The ZRP has made significant strides and efforts in response to online child abuse. Our efforts encompass both proactive and reactive initiatives. These include conducting awareness campaigns in schools and communities targeting both women and children.”

Meanwhile, Information and Communication Technologies, Postal and Courier Services deputy minister Jerifan Muswere and Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe director-general Gift Kallisto Machengete also warned online businesses and online users against cyber-attacks.

“Going forward, my ministry will co-ordinate and spearhead the cyber security aspects such as promulgating and enforcing the cyber laws, with the relevant government security bodies.

“Emerging technologies have to be used taking into consideration security fundamentals to ensure that all information remains secure in all respects. So, it is necessary to be aware of it and anticipate, predict, and prepare against cyber-attacks,” Muswere said.

Machengete added: “As we are grappling with serious cyber security issues in the form of cyber-attacks, data and privacy breaches, and the proliferation of hate speech and fake news situation is yet to get worse as more emerging technologies are adopted in the country.

“My message is that we must never lose sight of the benefits of Information and Communications Technology Services (ICTs) present as they are a tool for economic development and we have recognised that the development of ICT infrastructure is vital to our growth and development.”