BY SPORTS REPORTER

ZIMBABWE’S supreme sports governing body, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) says it will use its powers, as enshrined it its statutes to remove the entire Zimbabwe Netball Association (Zina) leadership from office.

In a statement yesterday, SRC said it would invoke section 30, chapter 25:15 of its constitution, a section which allows the commission to dissolve any national association’s board considered to have failed to comply with the body’s provisions.

“The SRC board, in light of the many controversies affecting the Zimbabwe Netball Association has resolved to institute the appropriate disciplinary action against Zina in terms of section 30 of the SRC Act. Zina has up to November 1, 2019 to respond to the several allegations levelled against it,” SRC said in a statement.

The decision comes barely a month after the SRC revealed that it was probing the operations of the Leticia Chipandu-led Zina board following “allegations of governance shortcomings” in the wake of clashes with national team players during the World Cup in Liverpool over allowances.

Chipandu, a long-serving netball administrator, has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after the Zimbabwe team almost failed to travel for the Africa Netball Cup tournament which ended in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The Gems suffered a walkover defeat against Uganda in their opening match after arriving in Cape Town hours after the scheduled start of their match against the east Africans.

Zimbabwe, whose hopes of a podium finish were virtually ended by the walkover, went on to finish fourth in the tournament after registering wins against Lesotho, Kenya and Zambia in addition to losses against the eventual winners South Africa and runners-up Malawi.

BY NUNURAI JENA

ZPC KARIBA . . . . . . . . . (1)1
Highlanders . . . . . . (0)1

Red-hot Highlanders striker Prince Dube, still celebrating his inclusion into the Warriors Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers squad, returned home from the Lesotho expedition to a red card. Despite the talented striker having been sent off by referee Tatenda Bvekerwa, the 10-man Highlanders side managed to steal a point from ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga Stadium yesterday.

Dube, who has been lucky to score in recent matches, was given the marching orders on the stroke of half-time for allegedly stepping on ZPC Kariba goalkeeper Future Sibanda, to spoil his day which had begun well when he was included in the provisional squad for the 2021 Afcon qualifiers next month. The expulsion of Dube led to a five-minute stoppage as players pushed and shoved with Dube appearing to refuse leaving the pitch. It took Highlanders coach Hendrikus Pieter De Jongh’s intervention to knock sense into Dube’s head.

De Jongh had no kind words for the referee.

“Dubes’s expulsion was totally wrong; nothing happened. It is unbelievable … big mistake from the referee,” De Jongh said.

ZPC Kariba took the lead on the 19th minute against the run of play when a long ball found Samuel Makawa who shrugged off a challenge by Mbongeni Ndlovu and Peter Muduwa before slotting the ball beyond Highlanders goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda’s reach.

Highlanders equalised on the 75th minute through Muduwa. Bosso started well with Andrew Mbeba and Dube giving ZPC defenders a torrid time.

ZPC Kariba coach Godfrey Tamirepi said: “Today, we never kept the ball. Highlanders were the better team even when they were reduced to 10 men,” he said. Tamirepi reckoned that the draw effectively put his side out of the title race.

Teams

ZPC Kariba: F Sibanda, I Nekati, M Kunyarimwe, S Appiah, B Mutukure, B Jury, D Chakupe (T Ranthokoane, 57′), C Muleya, T Nyamandwe, S Makawa, S Gorogodyo.

Highlanders: A Sibanda, M Phiri, A Silla, B Banda (C Siamalonga, 88′), N Masuku, A Mbeba, P Muduwa, M Ndlovu, M Sibanda, P Dube, B Sibanda

BY FORTUNE MBELE

CHICKEN INN………………….(0)1
CAPS UNITED……………………. 0

CAPS United missed the chance of opening a seven-point lead at the top of the log standings after they were beaten by Chicken Inn in a match that was marred by disturbances at Barbourfields Stadium yesterday.

On a day that their closest rival FC Platinum were held to a nil-all draw by Dynamos in Harare, in an equally chaotic match, Caps needed to win to move closer to the title.

However, they left Bulawayo empty handed and could face sanctions from the Premier Soccer League after their players walked off the pitch protesting against a penalty awarded to the home side in an ill-tempered clash.

Referee Happy Mabhena gave the hosts a disputed penalty which was converted by Passmore Bernard deep into the second half to thrust Chicken Inn back into title matrix.

Some Caps players, notably Carlos Rusere, substitute Blessing Sarupinda and Dominic Chungwa, appeared to be manhandling the referee after the game.

The fracas spilled over to the dressing rooms where windowpanes and doors to the match officials’ changing room were smashed.

With 17 minutes left to the final whistle, Mabhena adjudged that an attacking Obriel Chirinda was impeded inside the penalty box by goalkeeper Tonderai Mateyaunga.

The referee’s decision did not go down well with Caps players who protested and walked off the pitch only to be persuaded back by the club’s technical bench. The spot-kick was taken after a six-minute stoppage.

Chicken Inn could have doubled the lead two minutes into stoppage time, but substitute Sipho Ndlovu missed a sitter in a face-to-face encounter with Mateyaunga.

Coach Joey Antipas was excited after his side closed the gap to four points on Caps.

“This brings us back into the equation. I thought we should have blown them into oblivion in the first half because we had so many chances, but the guys did not take their chances. But all-in-all those three points are valuable,” Antipas said.

His counterpart Darlington Dodo was nowhere to be seen after the match in the ensuing commotion as the Caps entourage quickly got into their bus and left.

By Charles Laiton

THE muddled fight between MDC leader Nelson Chamisa and his arch-rival MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe was yesterday put on ice after the Supreme Court reserved judgment in a case where the two are battling for control of the main opposition MDC.

The decision by Justices Paddington Garwe, Antoinette Guvava and Bharat Patel has effectively left the two protagonists hung out to dry, meaning that the matter may never be resolved any time soon.

During the Supreme Court hearing, Khupe had urged the judges’ bench to recognise the opposition’s party structures that existed in 2014 when the opposition party was being led by the late founder Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

Khupe made the remarks through her lawyer Lovemore Madhuku while responding to an appeal by Chamisa, who is challenging the decision by the High Court which stripped him of the MDC-T presidency.

In her submission, Khupe said High Court judge Justice Edith Mushore did not misdirect herself when she ruled that the MDC constitution does not provide for the appointment of more than one deputy president as was done by Tsvangirai when he appointed Chamisa and Elias Mudzuri in 2016.

“The High Court was correct to find that the MDC constitution does not provide for the appointment of more than one deputy president … There was no provision for more than one deputy president, hence in 2014, there was only one deputy president, being the third respondent (Thokozani Khupe),” Madhuku said.

He said when Chamisa was appointed acting president during a meeting held in February 2018, it was in violation of the party’s constitution because Khupe was available to act as president during the time Tsvangirai was receiving treatment in South Africa.

Khupe further urged the court to rule in her favour and allow for the holding of the congress, which is supposed to be held in accordance with the party’s constitution.

In his submission, Chamisa, represented by advocate Thabani Mpofu, accused Khupe of acting scandalously by seeking a positive relief in a matter in which she did not participate at the High Court.

Chamisa insisted that the MDC’s constitution provided for the appointment of more than one deputy president and that Justice Mushore’s determination was misdirected, adding that Khupe had since moved on by leading her own party which also held its national congress and, above all, she participated in the July 2018 general elections as MDC-T presidential candidate.

“It’s scandalous that she did not respond to issues raised in the High Court and yet she is now seeking a positive relief from the Supreme Court,” Mpofu said, adding that the judgment of the High Court had been overtaken by events since his client was elected substantive president of the MDC during a congress that was held by the party in May 2019.

Mpofu said Khupe also violated the constitution of the MDC-T by not inviting MDC’s Gokwe Sesame District secretary Elias Mashavira to her congress, him being the one who raised the issue of not having been invited to the national congress that ushered Chamisa into the office of the acting president.

He urged the Supreme Court to remit the matter to the High Court for determination, arguing that the MDC party was barred from the proceedings which led to Mashavira scoring a victory against his party.

Mpofu defended Tsvangirai’s appointment of Chamisa, saying the late founding party leader had the powers to do that considering that he was the leader of the national council, which in itself was “a congress outside congress”.

“The national council has the power to authorise the president to make appointments of deputies regardless of the absence of the enabling provisions…,” he said.

Mashavira’s lawyer Ashell Mutungura also submitted that the High Court did not err when it made a decision that Chamisa was unconstitutionally appointed.

By Everson Mushava

UNITED States (US) ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, has dismissed government claims that Western sanctions were behind the country’s economic meltdown, saying the haemorrhage was being fuelled by high-profile corruption, economic mismanagement, policy inconsistency and failure to respect human rights, among other vices.

In an opinion piece exclusively written for NewsDay, Nichols said those vices were holding the country back.His statement comes as government has declared tomorrow a public holiday to campaign for the unconditional lifting of the sanctions.

Government claims sanctions were blocking lines of credit and trade.Sadc countries have also pledged to observe the day in solidarity with Harare to pressure the European Union and US to lift the sanctions which were imposed following gross human rights abuses and electoral fraud during the late former President Robert Mugabe’s rule.

The US government in March this year extended the sanctions by a year, saying they would only be lifted after President Emmerson Mnangagwa has honoured his reform pledge.

“Blaming sanctions is a convenient scapegoat to distract the public from the real reasons behind Zimbabwe’s economic challenges — corruption, economic mismanagement, and failure to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law,” Nichols said.

“What then is holding Zimbabwe back? It’s not sanctions. There are only 141 Zimbabwean people and companies on the US sanctions list. That’s right, just 141, in a country of 16 million. They are on the list for good reason.”

He added: “There is no US trade embargo on Zimbabwe. American companies are interested in investing in Zimbabwe, but are deterred by the massive levels of corruption, economic uncertainty, and weak rule of law. So, investors turn to other promising opportunities in the region and wait for the country to embrace the political and economic reforms that would make it a more attractive destination.”

Nichols said the greatest sanctions on Zimbabwe were the limitations the country was imposing on itself.Nichols said Zimbabwe is ranked 160 out of 175 nations on Transparency International’s corruption list.

The US envoy chronicled a lot of corrupt activities by government fatcats, including the missing US$2,8 million earmarked for the Command Agriculture programme, and how American companies were unceremoniously elbowed out of the Dema Power project after winning the tender in 2016, and replaced by Sakunda Holdings.

He also cited scandals at the Zimbabwe National Road Authority and Zesa Holdings, where millions of dollars could not be accounted for.

“Corruption is at the heart of why Zimbabweans are suffering through prolonged power outages. It’s not sanctions. It’s a betrayal of the public trust,” Nichols charged.

He declared that Zimbabwe loses more than US$1 billion per year to corruption, which is a huge figure considering that the country’s entire economy is just around US$26 billion.
He said if government was serious about fighting corruption, the country’s laws should be applied evenly and enforced.

If the government managed to do that, then State coffers would be full and the economy humming, he further averred.The US envoy said Mnangagwa’s administration must also resolve several reports of abductions and human rights violations recorded in the past few months.

Meanwhile, NewsDay yesterday gathered that government had extended a begging bowl to the corporate sector and well-wishers to fund its ambitious anti-sanctions march pencilled for tomorrow, and commandeered all students not sitting for public examinations and staff to organise own transport to the venues.

Teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that government had ordered all pupils not writing public examinations to attend the national and provincial anti-sanctions marches without fail.

Zanu PF structures, meanwhile, have been moving around the country soliciting for financial support to fund the campaign which is expected to gobble at least $4 million.

In an undated letter signed by one T Beto on behalf of Chipinge State Occasions Committee, members of the Chipinge Dairy Farmers Association were asked to provide diesel to transport people to Chipinge for the march, while several provinces, including Harare, have received similar requests.

“Chipinge district has taken a stance to support the solidarity march whose main event will be in Harare, with a similar one being held in Chipinge,” part of the letter on a Local Government ministry letterhead read.

“In view of the above, we have been assigned as the district fundraising committee subcommittee to mobilise diesel for vehicles to ferry members of Chipinge community to the historical event.”

The letter added: “We thus unite to request for your support in providing the committee with diesel to fuel vehicles that will transport people to the event.”

In Harare, Primary and Secondary Education secretary Tumisang Thabela wrote to provincial education director Christopher Kateera on October 15, advising that government had requested the release of about 2 304 students and teachers for mass display performances at the main anti-sanctions march.

“You are requested to ensure availability of the learners and their teachers for this important government event without disrupting examinations that are already under way.”

Teachers’ unions also leaked a WhatsApp message that was also ordering schools to release general hand staff for the anti-sanctions march, with the respective schools expected to foot their transport and food bills.

Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi yesterday said teachers were civil servants and obliged to support government work.

“The anti-sanction is a State event and Public Service has the right to compel teachers (to attend). It is not a partisan event, it is a national event,”Mutodi said.

“It is ignorance or the lack of understanding by those teachers and I doubt their credentials. These are State events and they are required to participate.

“Teachers have been advocating for the higher salaries and government has not been able to pay them because of those sanctions.”

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

THE Zimbabwe Herd Book (ZHB) national breed sale 2019 registered a growth, with total of 205 breeding animals sold, the highest number since 2012, mainly due to the increased number of heifers.

In its latest report, ZHB indicated that the 2019 national breed sales were by all accounts a tremendous success.

A total of 205 breeding animals were sold, including three boer goat bucks, 97 bulls and 105 heifers.

“The average prices were significantly higher than last year, reflecting devaluation of the local currency,” ZHB said.

The top price was for a Ruvale Brahman bull bred by the Pilossof family, which sold for a whopping $172 000, followed by $75 000 for another Brahman bull, again bred by the Pilossofs.

The third highest price of $60 000 was paid for a red Brahman bull bred by a Mr Sibanda, Little Beatrice Brahman Stud.

Bidding for heifers was firm, ZHB noted.

Remarkably, average prices in real terms also remained firm at US$3 226 for bulls and US$1 494 for heifers, using exchange rates of 1,5; 2,2 and 10:1 for 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively despite the prevailing macro-economic conditions and the severe drought.

Bulls from six beef breeds were on offer and Simmental had the highest average price per bull ($35 143) followed by Brahman ($33 952) and Beefmaster ($32 333).

ZHB noted that most of the heifers on offer were Brahman which averaged $14 018 while the four Boran heifers sold for an average of $28 000.

Last year, Zimbabwe’s annual premier breeding livestock auction saw the price for the most expensive beast in the bulls category vault 195% to US$24 000 up from the US$8 400 recorded at 2017’s edition.

ZHB was established through an Act of Parliament in 1980 to maintain the registry for all stud breeders, who produce pure genetic animals, by collecting all requisite information, performance figures and making sure rules and regulations of respective breed societies are respected and adhered to.

business reporter

Although the commodity has been in short supply, government is cashing in on increased tax on petroleum products.

Excise duty, most of it from fuel sales, was the biggest contributor to government’s third quarter revenue haul.

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (Zimra) gross collections for the third quarter came in at $6,59 billion, against the revised target of $6 billion, thanks in no small part to inflation.

Excise duty collections were $1, 013 billion in the quarter, topping value-added tax on local sales, which came in at $1,005 billion. The jump in excise duty revenue follows a change in tax calculation, effected in August 2019.

Excise duty is now calculated using rates of 40% and 45% for diesel and petrol, respectively, from $0,90 and $1,15 per litre, previously.

Petrol imports decreased by 18,24% from 130,49 million litres in the third quarter of 2018 to 106,66 million litres in the third quarter of 2019.

Diesel imports marginally increased by 0,68% from 265,46 million during the same period in 2018 to 267,26 million in the third quarter of 2019.

The much-debated 2% tax on electronic transactions, introduced in October 2018, brought in $661 million in the third quarter, nearly 5% off the set target of $692 million.

Cumulatively, revenue for the nine months to September was $11,48 billion, against a target of $10,52 billion. The revised net revenue target for the full year is now $18,6 billion. — newZWire

BY RONALD MAGWETA

THE socio-economic hardships afflicting many ordinary people in the country have not escaped the artistic lens of hip hop star Noble Stylz, who has released a metaphor-laden track — Chiedza — whose socio-political connotations speak to the situation obtaining in the country.

Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, Noble Stylz said the song was meant to reflect how the citizenry’s hopes had been dashed by the discouraging turn of events in the economy despite government’s assurances of progress under Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s “austerity for prosperity” measures.

“Chiedza is a reflection of a nation’s hopes in an inauspicious environment. It is the proverbial ever-eluding silver lining. It highlights being stuck between a rock and a hard place metaphor in real life,” the musician said.

Also known as Papa in music circles, Noble Stylz — real name Prince Butawo — is known for producing hard-hitting songs with political connotations meant to keep the government on its toes.

Produced by Quazor of Yung Gamez Entertainment, the song is laden with deep wordplay and metaphors as it plays on the image of light (Chiedza), to speak to the social complications that the majority of Zimbabweans have been forced to deal with.

Noble Stylz said that he has witnessed and lived through some of the hardships that are reflected in his music.

“Art is a mirror into the society, so I witness things, have lived through these phases and read about stuff too. So the motivation was to break down the cycle we are in as a nation in a way people could understand,” he said.

He said the political and economic jargon that government bureaucrats used often flew over ordinary people’s heads.

“Technocrats always throw around jargon which the populace might not understand so I just needed to unpack it and also mirror back the situation from the eye of the normal citizen.”

Noble said his songs are meant to have a positive impact on the people, make them see things in a way that they never imagined.

“The song has already started moving people towards a certain understanding of our situation. A knowledgeable people are hard to manipulate, we are just trying to survive,” he said.

Media personality Plot Mhako described the song as a bold chant for hope and change every Zimbabwean must hear and yearn for.

Chiedza is a single off his upcoming album titled Chana Chidokosa, which he described as “a 360 degree artistic experience”.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

MARANGE villagers have alleged that they are being forced by military personnel to work in the Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) diamond fields, a month after the United States raised a red flag on the country and banned the trading of rough diamonds mined in the area.

The US barred the trading of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe last month, accusing the country of using forced labour at its diamond fields in Marange.

The government, however, dismissed the claims, describing the move as constituting a grave and serious attack on Zimbabwe’s interests.

Speaking to NewsDay, Bocha Diamond Community Trust chairman Moses Mukwada said the mining area is so close to their homes that they witness human rights violations on a daily basis.
Mukwada alleged that soldiers come into the area and hire youths and other illegal miners to go into the fields and mine the gems, promising them a share of the proceeds, only to confiscate the ore and arrest them later.

“The soldiers and police come in the community looking for youths and illegal miners and take them to the fields to work after promising them that they would share the loot.

After working for some hours, they are then ordered to leave the fields. On exiting the fields, security guards would confiscate all the ores and subsequently arrest them,” Mukwada said.

“Those arrested are then taken to a military base where they are forced to wash the soldiers’ uniforms, fetch firewood and cook for them for a week or so.”

Mukwada said they have witnessed the abuse of youth and illegal miners on several occasions.

He also alleged that ZCDC security guards always shoot towards the community to deter villagers from entering the fields.

“ZCDC security guards shoot direct at people with the intention to kill. This is one of our concerns. The use of live bullets occurred three months ago and is a clear testimony on how ZCDC guards are conducting their business without mercy. We know the names of those killed during the shooting three months ago,” Mukwada added.

“There is no freedom of movement here, especially local villagers who have cars because they need to fork out for car permits which are renewed every month at their own expense. Without vehicle permits, local vehicle owners are harassed on a daily basis and are required to pay $40 for two boom gates at Hot Spring and at Chishingwi Primary School.”

Mukwada said married women whose national identity documents obtained outside Marange also face challenges entering their homesteads because they are perceived as strangers by the security details in the area.

He further said teachers, pastors and mourners from other provinces were not allowed to enter the community. The community leader said they have since suspended traditional ceremonies where relatives from outside Marange are invited.

“Previous mining companies destroyed Chirasika School and ZCDC has taken over the area, but they failed to rebuild the school and children are walking long distances to Hot Springs School which is 20km away. Most of the school girls are being abused by motorists who offer them transport,” Mukwada said.

Contacted for a comment last week, Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokesperson Overson Mugwisi asked NewsDay to furnish him with more details on the location of the alleged abuse by the soldiers to enable him to investigate as there were many base stations in the area.

NewsDay contacted him again after three days and he asked for questions to be sent by email, but had not responded at the time of going to print.

ZCDC spokesperson Sugar Chagonda professed ignorance over reports of use of forced labour in the diamond fields.

“If anyone has evidence of any kind of forced labour, we will be glad to get more information. What you are alleging to be happening between soldiers and villagers, we don’t have any reported cases,” Chagonda said.

‘If anything of that sort is happening, it is still illegal. All parties involved must be reported to the police. ZCDC is a responsible State miner that does not condone any form of corruption. We have zero tolerance to corruption and we believe in transparency and accountability.”