BY VENERANDA LANGA

Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) yesterday called for rotation of parliamentary portfolio committee chairpersons in a move targeted at removal of Gokwe Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena, who leads the Agriculture committee.

Mliswa raised this as a matter of privilege with the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda during the first sitting of the Second Session of the Ninth Parliament.

“For example, Wadyajena only chairs committees, but if you check he does not really attend parliamentary sittings.”

Mudenda said the issue of reshuffling of committees was the prerogative of the sponsoring party and the Standing Rules and Orders Committee.

Mliswa also complained of delays by Parliament to issue findings on investigations into allegations that he together with three other MPs, Prince Dubeko Sibanda (Binga North), Anele Ndebele (Magwegwe), and Gokwe Kabuyuni MP Leonard Chikomba, demanded a US$400 000 bribe from Bulawayo businessman James Goddard.

“I am an international business person and the fact that the report has been in your office for a long time is affecting my business. We were labelled corrupt and I do not know how long it will take for that report to be released to clear the matter,” he said.

Mudenda said Mliswa needs to disabuse the notion that he as the Speaker was holding onto the report on the investigations of the bribery allegations.

“The chairperson of the Privileges Committee has that report. I am advised that they have finished compiling it. The chairperson Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira is away and when he comes back, he must be able to table it,” Mudenda said.

Meanwhile, Mutare Central MP Innocent Gonese (MDC Alliance) demanded an explanation from the Speaker on the rationale he used to deny the five months’ sitting allowances for MDC legislators who walked out on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address last month.

Before Gonese could finish his sentence, Mudenda had already quashed him and ruled him out of order.

“I did not listen to you right up to the end because your party has written a letter to the chair (Speaker) seeking explanation and, therefore, you cannot have your cake and eat it,” Mudenda said.

BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA

FORMER Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira who is facing charges of criminal abuse of office and money laundering, is set to stand trial on November 4.

Mupfumira together with former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Service and Social Welfare Ngoni Masoka appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya who deferred the trial to November 4 following arguments between the State and their lawyer.

Mupfumira’s lawyer Charles Chinyama advised the court that the State was not ready to set a trial date for the two accused persons, but the State argued that Chinyama was afraid to have the trial commence on October 30.

The State argued that it would make an application to proceed with the trial on October 30, but both parties later agreed on the November 4 date.

It is alleged that Mupfumira directed the Ministry of Public Service to write a letter to CMED misrepresenting that there was a certain motor vehicle bought using NSSA funds, hence inferring that it will be taken back to the pension fund as it was appearing in the audit financial statement.

As a result of the misrepresentation, CMED issued Mupfumira with a Jaguar and Masoka accepted the vehicle into the ministry. Mupfumira effectively ended up having three personal vehicles instead of two according to her conditions of service.

The court heard that sometime in 2016, Mupfumira instructed one Mukondomi to pay tickets for her aides Kutyamadzo Shumbayaonda, Sphiwe Dhliwayo, and Alexandria Bwerinofa using ministry funds, to attend her daughter’s wedding in Cape Town, South Africa.

It is alleged that they booked hotel accommodation for seven officials at Cape Town Hotel, and Mupfumira’s relatives booked at Lord Charles and Southern Sun hotels using National Drought Accounts funds.

In another count, it is alleged that Mupfumira instructed NSSA to financially bail out MetBank to the tune of US$15 million as it was facing liquidity challenges.

The court heard that NSSA reportedly declined since the bank had previously defaulted over a US$25,3 million loan advanced to it.

Mupfumira allegedly gave NSSA officials instructions to seriously consider the bank’s loan request and process a loan of US$15 million to settle the bank’s US$5 million depositor’s credit and US$10 million for use in housing projects and bring feedback the following day.

NSSA resolved to decline the US$15 million loan request after considering the bank’s risk status, but Mupfumira and Masoka forced the authority to buy the bank’s properties worth US$4 908 050.

It is the State’s case that after buying the properties and after NSSA had transferred money into the bank’s account, Mupfumira received US$44 600 from the bank through her company, Beautyview Investments Pvt Ltd, where she is a director together with her children.

It is alleged that when Mupfumira received the US$44 600, she was aware that the deposits were proceeds of a crime and that they were meant to disguise the true nature, source and location and disposition or ownership with respect to the money.

All the US$39 777,14 was used to offset a negative balance on her company’s bank account.

by STAFF REPORTER

CASSAVA Smartech’s Maisha Health has unveiled a new partnership with Cancerserve Trust which seeks to assist Zimbabweans living with cancer.

Through the partnership, Maisha has committed a portion of its monthly revenue to supporting cancer treatment in Zimbabwe’s public hospitals through the Cancerserve Trust.

Announcing the ground-breaking partnership, Cassava Smartech CEO Eddie Chibi said his company would continue using innovation to address pressing societal issues and to support worthy causes.

“Cassava Smartech will, through its brands, continue to do well by doing good; to use innovation to offer sustainable, technology-driven solutions that impact people’s lives – including those fighting cancer or undergoing cancer treatment,” Chibi said.

The founder and chair of Cancerserve Trust, Anna Nyakabau, hailed Maisha for partnering with her trust. She implored other corporates to follow suit.

The partnership comes as Zimbabwe and the rest of the world this month commemorate World Breast Cancer awareness month.

Nyakabau said cancer prevalence was high in Zimbabwe, currently estimated to be affecting over 36 in every 100 000 people, compared to around six in every 100 000 in developed nations. She said she believed the partnership with Maisha would help bring that ratio down.

Maisha delivers daily heath education and advice for healthy living and wellness via the mobile phone.

BY CHARLES LAITON

ZANU PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu has filed a $10 million lawsuit against the party’s youth league deputy secretary, Lewis Matutu as the internal dog fights over allegations of corruption continue to tear the ruling party apart.

Mpofu, who is former Home Affairs minister, recently approached the High Court seeking an order to compel Matutu to compensate him after his name appeared on an economic saboteurs list that was drafted and released in June this year by the ruling party’s youth league accusing him (Mpofu) of being one of the several corrupt former Cabinet ministers.

When the list was released mid-year, Mpofu described his party youths, who were pressurising him to clear his name on corruption allegations, as relevance seekers while scoffing at their threats to block him from Zanu PF headquarters.

In summons through his lawyers Chambati, Mataka and Makonese Attorneys, Mpofu said the contents of Matutu’s statement were defamatory, false and misleading in that it was understood to mean that he (Mpofu) had violated the very foundation of the fight for democracy in the country because of his corrupt proclivities.

Mpofu further said Matutu’s statement suggested “that his corrupt inclinations continue to undermine socio-economic transformation in Zimbabwe and, as a corollary, the defendant’s (Matutu) generation is suffering immensely”.

“The claims, allegations and assertions made by the defendant as set out above are false, malicious, scandalous, wrongful and defamatory of the plaintiff in the extreme, in that on their plain and ordinary meaning, they allege corruption by the plaintiff and were intended by the defendant and understood by his audience and all the readers of the statement to mean; that plaintiff is a corrupt politician; is dishonest and cruel; is undermining socio-economic transformation in Zimbabwe because of his corrupt proclivities,” Mpofu said in his founding affidavit.

“In addition to the plain and defamatory per se content of the statement as set out above, the defamatory allegations carry with them the secondary meaning, an innuendo and sting that the plaintiff is not a law-abiding citizen and, therefore, unfit to hold public office and/or political office. The plaintiff’s reputation and standing being a businessman, practicing politician and current secretary for administration of Zanu PF has been significantly impaired in the eyes of the public.”

Before the filing of the lawsuit, Mpofu had urged Matutu and his colleagues to find other ways of getting attention.

“Honestly there are so many ways of seeking relevance and this is not one of them,” Mpofu was quoted as having said while laughing off the allegations and the threat to block him from entering Zanu PF headquarters.

He added: “They could have looked for better ways of seeking relevance and not this kind of things that they are doing.”

The corruption list came about amid reports that the youths were being used by a faction within the party angling to control the ruling party and elbow out perceived enemies, setting a stage for possible brutal internal fights.

Matutu is yet to enter appearance to defend.

BY Elinera Manyonga/ Blessed Mhlanga /Nqobani Ndlovu

PUBLIC examinations for secondary school students set for Friday are going ahead as planned despite government declaring the day a public holiday to mark the anti-sanctions call.

Government on Monday announced Friday as a public holiday to mark October 25 as Southern African Development Community (Sadc) anti-sanctions day.

However, there was no mention of what would happen to public examinations set for Friday. Primary and Secondary Education minister, Paul Mavima yesterday said the examinations were going ahead as planned.

“When the government declared Friday October 25, 2019 a public holiday to mark Sadc solidarity day against illegal Western sanctions on Zimbabwe, it was aware that the ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level public examinations were in progress. In this regard, the examinations scheduled for Friday shall be written as per timetable,” Mavima said.

Social media messages claimed the examinations had been cancelled and rescheduled for another day, triggering fears that there could be chaos in schools and disruption of examinations.

However, Mavima said the ministry had a system controlled from the examination centre and all examination centres were in touch with all candidates and will communicate the right message to candidates.

“Examination centres will see to it that the right information gets to all candidates, our school heads, principals, invigilators and all those involved in the running of examinations should ensure that all candidates report to their respective examination centres as per their timetable,” he said.

Information deputy minister, Energy Mutodi told NewsDay: “It will be a holiday where public servants will be marching to the National Sports Stadium where they will be addressed by the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa), but as for students who are writing they will not be affected since it’s only a fraction of civil servants who will oversee the examinations.”

A Sadc summit held in Tanzania in August called on member States to rally behind Zimbabwe in calling for the conditional lifting of Western sanctions against the southern African nation.

In Harare, the main event will be held at the National Sports Stadium while similar events will be held in various provinces.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

ZIMBABWE Republic Police Commissioner-General, Godwin Matanga yesterday revealed that the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) was not willing to assist Zimbabwe extradite certain suspects because of fears that their pursuit was politically motivated.

Matanga made the disclosure when he appeared before the Kindness Paradza-chaired Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs together with Home Affairs ministry secretary Melusi Matshiya to give oral evidence on the International Treaties Bill and the dynamics of the Extradition Treaty.

Although Matanga declined to disclose any names, several former Cabinet ministers, among them Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Patrick Zhuwao, Mandiitawepi Chimene and Walter Mzembi are wanted back home for trial after they skipped the country following the November 2017 military coup which ousted the late former President Robert Mugabe to pave way for his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

“On the issue of the Extradition Treaty, it is the duty of the ZRP to bring back people who have committed offences, and on a number of occasions we filed notice with Interpol to bring back offenders, but of late Interpol has been suspecting the ZRP of being politically motivated,” Matanga said.

“Interpol has said they will not help and where a person to be arrested is away and is given refugee status,Interpol has said it will not help. If it is a politician that has committed an offence, Interpol looks at how that person is connected politically and they will defend that person.”

As a result, he said the ZRP ended up with no option but to make bilateral arrangements within the region to be assisted to bring back the offenders.

However, the opposition and civic groups accuse the police together with the military of brutality citing the January fuel protests during which an estimated 17 people were killed in a violent crackdown against protestors.

The police are also being accused of partisanship by banning opposition MDC events while allowing those of the ruling Zanu PF to go ahead.

Chirumanzu MP Barbara Rwodzi (Zanu PF) said Matanga should explain why politicians were not being arrested promptly if they committed crimes. She said it was better
for the ZRP to make arrests before the politicians skipped the country.

“In Zimbabwe, our laws protect the President only when he is in office. For the rest of us here — as soon as anyone commits an offence the ZRP will be on you,” Matanga responded.
Matshiya said Interpol and the police in the region should come up with instruments to guide its operations.

“As ZRP, we should also fight these delays in arresting offenders and do what we are supposed to be doing,” Matshiya said.

Acting director for legal affairs in the Foreign Affairs ministry, Stewart Nyakotyo was also grilled over delays by Zimbabwe in ratifying treaties and protocols.

Paradza said there were 36 outstanding treaties that have not been ratified, and among them is the ratification of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) protocol which was signed by Mugabe in 2003 and is still outstanding.

He said failure to sign the PAP protocol cost senator Chief Fortune Charumbira a chance to chair the PAP after Zimbabwe was blocked from chairing because it has not ratified the protocol.

CHAOS reigned supreme at the late Mugodhi Apostolic sect leader Tandewu Mugodhi’s burial in Wedza on Saturday after two factions clashed over the burial site and the appointment of his son as heir apparent.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Three police officers, who were at the site, had a torrid time quelling the chaos as sect members exchanged harsh words, while some shouted unprintable words as the leadership wrangle within one of the biggest apostolic sects in the country escalated.

A faction opposed to the elevation of Mugodhi’s son Washington was left seething with anger after he was ordained sect leader against a High Court ruling which recognised vice-bishop Tonnie Sigauke as the bona fide successor.

High Court judge Justice Owen Tagu made the determination on September 4, 2019, after sect members petitioned the court, seeking an order to interdict Tandewu from appointing Washington the acting vice-bishop and to act on his behalf.

Justice Tagu further said Tandewu’s move was a breach of the sect’s constitution.

In his ruling, Justice Tagu said: “The first respondent (Tandewu) be and is hereby interdicted from carrying out his duties until he has been cleansed in terms of the applicant’s constitution.

“The first, second, third and fourth respondents (Tandewu, Washington, Innocent and Enock Mugodhi) together with their families be and are hereby interdicted from interfering in the operations of the applicant (Sigauke).

“The pronouncement by the first respondent that the second respondent is now the acting vice-bishop be and is hereby declared unlawful. The vice-bishop Tonnie Sigauke be and is hereby confirmed as acting bishop.”

There were also frantic efforts to bar Tandewu from being buried at the sect’s headquarters.
The disgruntled sect members tried to use traditional leadership in the area to stop the burial without success.

Tandewu was buried at the sect headquarters where his father Elijah Mugodhi, who died in 1971 is buried.

Giving a speech during the burial ceremony, one of the leaders revealed that all was not well within the sect as some members were jostling for top posts.

A family member, who preferred anonymity, told NewsDay that there had been efforts by the anti-Tandewu faction to take over the leadership long before his death.

“There have been efforts to seize leadership from the Mugodhi family. This is why there was chaos at the funeral wake. They tried to bar him from being buried at the sect headquarters despite other bishops being buried there. Some of the members feel that the family should not be involved in the church leadership, which is wrong. They are against the elevation of Washington and it is not looking good. When Tandewu was no longer feeling well, some of his enemies changed the constitution without his knowledge as they were trying to stage a coup,” the family member said.

Tandewu died last week after a long battle with cancer.

The Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) yesterday said it had set up a crowd-funding platform through their affiliate associations to ease financial problems faced by its members, particularly those who did not receive their salaries last week.

By Phyllis Mbanje/Desmond Chingarande

The doctors, who also claim they are receiving indirect threats to force them to abandon their nearly two months’ strike, said the non-payment of salaries had further impoverished them.

“The most recent assault has been the withholding of October salaries for all doctors who have not been reporting to work due to the very fact that they are financially liquidated,” ZHDA representative Tawanda Zvakada said.

Health Services Board chairperson Paulinus Sikosana has, however, denied reports that government suspended salaries for the striking doctors, claiming that some doctors details were omitted by mistake.

“The HSB receives consolidated information from registers compiled by individual hospitals. For senior doctors, this is based on an on-call roster and as such if the doctor on-call was called to attend to patients and did not come, they were considered to be absent from work,” he said.
Addressing the media at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday, Zvakada, who was flanked by other members of the ZHDA executive, said while they acknowledged attempts by government in addressing their pleas, the offers fell short of their expectations.

Although their employer dragged them to court which ordered them to go back to work, the doctors have said they remain incapacitated to go back to work.

“While the willingness to comply with the ruling is there, we maintain that we remain physically and materially incapacitated,” Zvakada said.

Of concern to doctors is the fact that they have received threats.

“We as the ZHDA leadership, we feel there are indirect threats that have been made towards us. We condemn such actions if indeed they were directed to us or if there is anyone planning to do so,” they said.

The threats come three weeks after ZHDA president Peter Magombeyi was allegedly abducted and tortured by suspected State security agents and had to be flown to South Africa to receive further treatment.

Meanwhile, suspected Zanu PF members took to social media yesterday describing the doctors’ strike as a political move being sponsored by the United States government.

This followed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s remarks last week that there was a third force behind the doctors’ strike. He alleged that his government had discovered that there were four or five leaders who went to meetings at night and came back to influence others not to return to work.

The suspected Zanu PF members went on Twitter, accusing human rights lawyer Doug Coltart of handing over US$19 300 to ZHDA spokesperson Masimba Ndoro at Fishmonger Belgravia to cushion doctors who failed to receive their salaries.

But Coltart refuted the allegations, accusing Zanu PF of making desperate allegations to divert attention from the strike.

Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University pro-vice chancellor Gift Mugano has said Zimbabwe risks going back to dollarisation in the first quarter of 2020 due to failure by the local currency to boost public confidence.

BY RUTENDO MATANHIKE

Presenting at a pre-budget briefing seminar in Harare yesterday, Mugano blamed government for putting in place reactionary policies to deal with the high levels of inflation without looking at their impact on the people, which he said had further plummeted public confidence in the local currency.

“Statutory instruments (SI) are a reactionary way of dealing with the situation; it just lessens the confidence in the currency by local people,” Mugano said.

“We cannot burn the house to deal with a rat, but we have to set traps to deal with it. In order to stop the black market, there is need to set traps to deal with them without necessarily affecting everyone else.”

He added: “We end up having an economy that is speculative than productive because of this form of reactionary policies that want to deal with problems. The policies are formed from a good basis, but they are affecting everyone even those who are not trading in foreign currency on the black market. We run the risk of going full dollarisation in the first quarter of 2020, which is not a good thing for Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe banned the 10-year multi-currency system in June this year after government workers demanded salaries in United States dollars which government could not afford. Since then, the country has been in a hyperinflation mode; with prices skyrocketing against stagnant salaries, a feat that has forced citizens to the wall.

Mugano said the recently introduced policies, including the SI 142 that introduced the Zimdollar, caused businesses to act in ways that protected their business investments.

Also presenting before MPs, economist Persistence Gwanyanya said: “Our major problem is that Zimbabwe is not producing. We are a consumptive economy which consumes up to 80% of our gross domestic product. We are eating into the country’s future. Currently, people have to buy their own hard-earned money, so we really cannot establish confidence in our local currency.”