BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

REIGNING Chibuku Super Cup champions Triangle will be looking to put one step into the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup when they take on Mauritanian champions FC Nouadhibou in a play-off first leg tie away tomorrow.

The match will be played at the Stade Municipal in the country’s second largest city Nouadhibou.

FC Nouadhibou were initially competing in the Caf Champions League before they were booted out 6-1 on aggregate in the first round of the competition by Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca.

The Zimbabwean side, on the other hand, has been in superb form on the African safari this year and have one hurdle to clear ahead of the lucrative group stages.

Triangle beat Rukinzo from Burundi 5- 0 on aggregate in the preliminary stages before accounting for Tanzanians Azam, recording identical 1-0 scorelines in both legs in the last round.

Despite struggling on the domestic scene where they sit on 10th position in the 18-team league, the Taurai Mangwiro-coached side are yet to concede a goal in the Confederations Cup in four matches so far.

Powered by Warriors midfielder Ralph Kawondera, who was part of the Chan squad as well as Zimbabwe Under-23 star Delic Murimba and Allan Tavarwisa, Triangle are capable of grabbing a positive result in Mauritania.

FC Nouadhibou, who have won the Mauritanian championship seven times, are no pushovers, having knocked Ivory Coast representatives SO de l’Armée out of the Champion League in the preliminary round this season.

The second leg of the play-off encounter is slated for next weekend and will probably be played at Barbourfields in Bulawayo, where Triangle have been playing their home matches.

Qualification to the group stage of the Caf Confederations Cup could brighten Zimbabwe’s chances of having two teams in each of the continental club competitions next year.

By Everson Mushava

VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi’s estranged wife Tambudzani Mohadi (nee Muleya) has accused the Beitbridge police of being afraid of investigating her powerful former husband after she made a complaint of assault in April this year.

Muleya made the claim in a letter to the officer commanding police in Beitbridge, where she demanded to see the docket the police compiled on Mohadi after she reported her case.

She claimed the police was dragging its feet in handling the Mohadi case after she filed her complaint against her former husband way back in April and nothing has been done.

“The (Zanu PF) Senator advises that she faced serious challenges in reporting the matter and obtaining the status of the police investigation. Since April 2019, the senator has requested for updates on the police investigation to no avail,” part of the letter from Muleya’s lawyers, Scanlen and Holderness read.

Muleya and Mohandi are divorcing before the courts over what the VP claims to be irreconcilable differences.

A fight over property forced Mohadi to allegedly use an axe to open doors, threaten to shoot his former wife, and get away with three vehicles.

Muleya claimed that about 25 local police officers and aides witnessed the drama, where the VP also reportedly used a steel bar to poke his ex-wife before threatening to kill her.

The lawyers are now demanding to see Mohadi’s docket or to have the police open it against the VP.

“We now seek your assistance in establishing whether a docket was opened with regards to the complaint made by our client,” the lawyers wrote.

“As a responsible authority, we seek clarification on whether any appropriate criminal investigations into the conduct of the Vice-President’s behaviour have been conducted and whether any appropriate criminal charges have been or will be levelled against him.”

Obert Chari

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

AWARD-WINNING musician Obert Chari has collaborated with an Australian music outfit, Diversity Music Collective, in a song titled Mugidhi, in which they encourage children to enjoy their freedom responsibly without resorting to drugs.

The ZCC Hakireni frontman, who rose to fame with his chart-topper Mebo, told NewsDay Weekender Life & Style that he hoped the collaboration would help to increase his fan base and export his music to other nations.

Chari said the deal shaped up after he had met Diversity Music Collective founder Jaison Midzi, an Australian of Zimbabwean origin.

“He liked my idea and the message that the song portrays and then we decided that we should do the song Mugidhi, which encourages children to enjoy themselves responsibility as there is nothing bad about it, the danger only comes when they decide to do drugs,” he said.

“Mugidhi is a word that we use in our church ZCC which means all night worship service, so I am trying to urge youths to at least spend time at church or anywhere, but without doing drugs or drinking alcohol.”

The musician said he discovered that collaborations pull together a collection of ideas and help people to understand and learn new things as they share ideas.

“Collaborations are all about sharing ideas and learning new things from others and this means there are high chances of increasing one’s fan base,” he said.

He disclosed that the song will also come as a birthday present to his son, Obert Chari Junior, who was born on October 11.

Diversity Music Collective is made up of people from different cultural backgrounds and includes Carolyn Omenda (band co-founder, singer and dancer originally from Kenya), George Will (band manager, lead guitarist and singer, Maarlee De Jong (rhythm guitarist) and Jeff Seraphin (bass guitarist) originally from the Congo.

Marvelous Nakamba

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

ZIMBABWE international Marvelous Nakamba will face his sternest test since his breakthrough move to the Premier League when Aston Villa travel to the Etihad Stadium to play against English champions Manchester City this afternoon in arguably their toughest match of the season so far.

Nakamba, who joined the Premier League side from Belgian outfit Club Brugge for a reported £11 million fee, has been receiving rave reviews after starting and impressing in each of the club’s last five Premier League matches since making his English Premiership debut against West Ham United last month.

The former Bantu Rovers prodigy has turned himself into a darling of the Villa fans, who have been impressed with his great awareness and combative style of play, which has provided the team’s attackers the freedom to venture forward knowing they are covered.

Since Nakamba broke into the first 11, his more attacking teammates such as John McGinn, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish have been flourishing leaving the Zimbabwean to do most of the dirty work in front of the defence.

According to whoscored.com, Nakamba has recorded an average of 6,2 tackles per 90 minutes, earning himself an average rating of 7,09 out of 10 in his five Premier League appearances.

Nakamba is expected to play a similar defensive role when Aston Villa play against a strong Manchester City which will be looking to reduce the six-point gap between them and Liverpool, who play tomorrow.

The Guardian newspaper’s football writer Daniel Harris identified Nakamba as a key player for Aston Villa in his preview for today’s encounter.

“There’s a lot to like about Dean Smith’s Aston Villa, in particular their midfield axis of Marvelous Nakamba, Jack Grealish and John McGinn. Nakamba’s calm intelligence provides the perfect balance to his more energetic partners, who play with the perfect combination of entitlement and desire, McGinn a tenacious tempo-setter and Grealish an intuitive improviser.

Against City, they will be extended like never before, but will know that if they can compete, there are goals to be taken from a vulnerable home defence. Of course, the likelihood is that City will be too good for them, but do not be surprised if Villa give them a run for their money,” Harris wrote.

The Birmingham Mail’s Aston Villa correspondent, Ashley Preece also speculated that Nakamba could be given the role of man-marking City’s midfield magician Kevin de Bruyne, who is set to feature for the Citizens against Villa.

Nakamba will also have his hands full as he attempts to keep the likes of Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero in check.

In the lead up to the City match, Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has been waxing lyrical about Nakamba following his impressive start to life in the English Premier League.
Smith, who is set to name Nakamba in his starting line-up, said he has been impressed by how the Zimbabwean star conducted himself on and off the pitch since his move.

“He is a wonderful player. He is got such an enthusiasm that, when you meet him, straight away you are endeared to him,” Smith beamed.

“He wanted to come and play in the Premier League and believes he is good enough and we believed that. He is the sort of player that we felt could improve us as a team. The dressing room has helped him settle in, he has got Bjorn Engels and Wesley who he has played with at Brugge.”

The Villa boss admitted his side faces a daunting task against Pep Guardiola’s side, but said his players have the belief they can do well.

“It’s a tough place to go, we know that, but we have great belief in ourselves. My final message when we go over the white line will be ‘listen they are not superhuman, they are human just like yourselves, if you run harder than them and you are mentally stronger than them, you have got a good chance’.”

Smith added: “It’s 11 versus 11. The mental side of going into games like this is so important – ‘don’t fear them, respect them by all means because they are top players.”

Editorial Comment

IT is indicative of the polarisation in Zimbabwe politics that on a rather unusual holiday, specifically created to voice the country’s disquiet about sanctions imposed by the United States of America, the two prominent political players in the land are spinning narratives that are poles apart.

The US and the European Union imposed financial and travel bans on top Zanu PF and military figures from 2001 over alleged human rights abuses and electoral fraud.

While the EU removed the blanket sanctions in 2014, it now only maintains the embargo on former President, the late Robert Mugabe, his wife Grace and Zimbabwe Defence Industries.

The US on the other hand, has tightened the screws, accusing President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration of going back on its promise to open up democratic space and institute wide ranging reforms.

In March this year, it extended the sanctions on 141 individuals and firms linked to the ruling elite, including Mnangagwa and his deputies.

But the opposition MDC party accuses Mnangagwa and his party of using sanctions as a convenient excuse to mask its failure to deal with the worst economic crisis facing the country in a decade.

The crisis, it argues, stems from the fact that Zimbabweans lack confidence in the current political leadership of the country after a disputed election last year.

The lack of good governance, legitimate and accountable leadership as evidenced by rigged or stolen elections; State-sanctioned gross human rights violations; rampant corruption; police brutality; arbitrary arrests and persecution of opposition politicians and civil society activists; abductions and forced disappearances; abuse of food aid as a political weapon; suppression of rural communities; cartels or state capture; among other vices that militate against the people of Zimbabwe, wrote its spokesperson Daniel Molokele yesterday.

So, yesterday, around 7 000 Zanu PF supporters marched to the National Sports Stadium to condemn the sanctions, which government argues are punishment for its seizure of white-owned farms at the turn of the millennium.

The attendance numbers tell of a country weary of the circus and tired of the daily grind and are still unable to provide for their families. Indeed, a video which was widely circulated on social media showing a group of women fighting over a box of fast food at the stadium sums up the desperation Zimbabweans face.

Despite the prospect of the two biggest clubs Dynamos and Highlanders providing football fun, Zimbabweans just could not be bothered to turn up to hear Mnangagwa’s pitch and the giant stadium, which has a sitting capacity of 60 000, was largely empty.

Zimbabweans have had enough and need a way out of this mess. Our political leaders are not providing it. Or if they just turn around, face each other and talk, there maybe light at the end of the tunnel.

BY ALLIEWAY NYONI

Zvishavane magistrate Achy Wochiunga refused to grant bail pending appeal for a Mandava High School upper six pupil who was on Tuesday slapped with a three-year jail term together with three accomplices for robbery.

Tamuka Chekai Hove (19) was convicted together with Stanly Zhou (26), Luckman Nyathi (21) and Steward Kabango (18) for striking Christopher Nsingo (48) with a stone on the head before robbing him of cash and cellphones on Monday night.

Hove, through his lawyer Grace Nyabawa of Nyabawa Legal Practitioners, applied for bail while awaiting High Court response for an appeal seeking the court to allow their client to finish his exams from home.

However, Wochiunga turned down the application, saying their High Court application’s chances of success were next to zero and the sentence was fair.

“Robbery is a serious offence and prospects for success of an appeal are next to zero. Robbery invariably attracts a prison sentence,” Wochiunga said.

Prosecutor Tinashe Maponde told the court that Nsingo was walking on his way home from a public joint when he encountered the quartet in Mandava high-density suburb.

They took a cellphone, $570 and US$2 from his trousers. Nsingo tried to escape, but the convicts stripped him before dumping him.

During the same night, Zhou bumped into police officers on patrol and confessed, implicating his accomplices, leading to their arrest.

By Phyllis Mbanje

ZIMBABWE is among several countries battling early and unintended pregnancies (EUP) among adolescents.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation official Masimba Nyamucheta said statistics indicate that over 21% of girls aged between 15 and 19 were already getting pregnant.

He said the trend was problematic in that many of the girls dropped out of school as a result, while some faced challenges and complications during birth.

“Mashonaland Central has the highest rates of teen pregnancies with one in every three girls (aged 15 to 19) likely to become pregnant,” Nyamucheta said.

Last year, 411 primary school-going girls dropped out of school across the country as result of early pregnancies, the official said.

Nyamucheta said there were some cultural practices that were perpetuating this vice. The prevailing economic challenges have also forced young girls to marry early.

Some religious groups like the ultra-conservative apostolic faith sects also continue to marry off young girls to older men.

“The young girls cannot negotiate for safe sex, a situation which exposes them to HIV and Aids,” Nyamucheta said.

To counter this social scourge, countries in eastern and southern Africa came together and signed a pact aimed at scaling up comprehensive sexuality education and sexual reproductive health services for adolescents and young people in the region.

Health and Education ministers from the respective countries, which include Zimbabwe, committed to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies by 75%, as well as HIV infection by 95% among adolescents.

Nyamucheta urged the media to play its role in disseminating information on the problem and also engage communities in tackling it, saying it might reverse gains made in reducing HIV prevalence rate.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

HIGHLANDERS coach Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh is wary of the threat posed by FC Platinum ahead of the Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final match at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow.

“I have respect for FC Platinum; they are organised. The club has big ambitions shown in the last two years where they had great international success. The club is professional and has quality players. The way they handle a lot of things is very professional, but I believe in my players and my selection,” De Jongh said.

He added: “I have been in charge of six matches – four wins and two draws. They were not easy games. I hope a lot of fans will come and also hope for a good result, but it is going to be a tough game. I know the opponents are also scared and have respect for us because of the results we have posted in the last six games,” De Jongh said.

Prince Dube, who was red-carded in a 1-all draw against ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga Stadium on Wednesday, is expected to lead the team against FC Platinum as he looks to continue his recent good form.

FC Platinum coach Lizwe Sweswe is aware of the threat that in-form Highlanders pose, but said they will stand their ground in front of the multitudes of their fans.

“It will always be difficult to play against the country’s two biggest clubs in a space of four days, but this one is a cup game and there must be a winner at the end of the day. Highlanders have been in good form so it will be a difficult game, but we are FC Platinum, we will throw everything at them to come out with a win,” Sweswe said.

FC Platinum played a goalless draw with Dynamos in a league match at Rufaro on Wednesday.

Sweswe reckons that they are under pressure to retain the league title, prepare for the Caf Champions League group stages and the Chibuku Super Cup, but said they had to brace for everything at hand.

“Football is always a pressure game; the pressure has to be managed. There is the league title; we are playing in the Chibuku Super Cup and preparing for the Champions League, but we will try and give it our best against Highlanders in front of their crowd. We will push to our best,” Sweswe said.

Chibuku Super Cup fixtures

Today: Ngezi Platinum Stars v Black Rhinos (Baobab)

Tomorrow: FC Platinum v Highlanders (Babourfields), ZPC Kariba v Manica Diamonds (Vengere)

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

ZIMBABWE National Road Administration (Zinara) chairperson Michael Madanha is in the eye of another storm after he allegedly handpicked a security company owned by cronies to man tollgates across the country, ignoring an existing bidder that won the tender after being approved by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ).

Madanha, who is at the centre of a fuel scandal at Zinara, is allegedly linked to the company named, Ex-Combatants Security Services, whose directors include former Energy and Power Development deputy minister Tsitsi Muzenda, former Zanu PF legislator Tranos Huruva, Thomas Mwazha, ex-Zanu PF Glen View South 2018 primary election candidate, Steven Hurungudo and Douglas Munangwa.

According to documents in possession of NewsDay Weekender, two security companies, Modern Security and Real Star Security Company, participated in the bidding process and won the tender to offer security services at Zinara this year.

However, the Madanha-led Zinara board allegedly disregarded the procurement process and ordered acting chief executive officer Suston Muzenda to engage the Ex-Combatants Security Services for a one-year contract without due process.

A highly-placed source told NewsDay Weekender that a board resolution was done to legitimise the “criminal offence” after the security company had already started work at the Zinara head office and all tollgates.

“A board resolution that was chaired by Madanha was done to legitimise the offence, but it was way after the security company had started giving its services to Zinara,” the source said.

Contacted for comment, Madanha did not deny the illegality, but said the board had only given the company a one-year contract while finalising the engagement of new tender winners.

“I am not part of that security company, but what I know about that company is that it was contracted before and its contract had expired. We only gave them a one-year extension on their contract, which expired, but we are still to engage those who won the tender,” he said.

Madanha also denied the allegations that he is a director in Ex-Combatants Security Services, saying he does not know any member of that security firm or the directorship of that company.

“I do not know anyone or the directorship of the company, but you can contact the management.
They may assist you. Some of the things are done at management level. As you can see, I am currently at home right now and not at work,” Madanha told NewsDay Weekender recently.

PRAZ chief executive Nyasha Chizu said although he does not have enough information about Zinara engaging another company in place of tender winners Modern Security and Real Star Security Company, he said if such an incident happened, the procedure for dealing with such issues was provided for in sections that criminalise methods of procurement could have been violated.

“I don’t have information on that account, but section 16 of the Act forbids ministers and their deputies, permanent secretaries and board members to issue directives on procuring entities to heads of parastatals,” Chizu said.

“However, we do not have information on such directives. If such procedures or incidents happened, the procedures for dealing with such issues is provided for in the same subsection of the same provision and section 94 criminalises use of procurement methods not provided by the act.”

According to the source, Ex-Combatants Security has deployed 50 security guards at Beitbridge Border Post alone, a place that in the past operated with only four guards.

The move, according to the sources, was done to boost their earnings.

At the Zinara head office, it is reported there were between 16 and 25 security guards manning the station, again to increase the bill.

The source added PRAZ wrote a letter to Zinara warning them to abide by the procurement Act, saying the move was tantamount to criminal abuse of office.

Chizu, however, could not confirm the letter, saying he needed to check with his office.