BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

FORMER Tourism minister, Priscah Mupfumira and retired labour ministry permanent secretary, Ngoni Masoka were yesterday arrested on fresh charges of abuse of office and money laundering.

The two appeared before Harare magistrate Hosea Mujaya who released them on the same bail conditions they were given at the High court and were remanded to October 22.

It is the State’s case that sometime in 2013, MetBank defaulted in paying back US$25,3 million investment loan maturity to the National Social Security Authority that was secured with properties worth around US$32 million.

As a result of the default, NSSA allegedly classified MetBank as a high risk client that was not worth trading with and in December 2014, Mupfumira was appointed Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare minister.

On December 15, five days after her appointment, she held a meeting with MetBank officials Ozias Bvute, Enoch Kamushinda and Belmont Ndebele at the ministry offices where no minutes were recorded.

It is alleged that on December 16, 2014, Mupfumira and Masoka held another meeting with then NSSA general manager James Matiza and the MetBank officials at the ministry offices.

Mupfumira allegedly instructed NSSA to financially bail out MetBank to the tune of $15 million as it was facing liquidity challenges.

NSSA, however, declined the proposal since MetBank had previously defaulted in a US$25,3 million loan advance. Mupfumira then disregarded all that and went to give Matiza instructions to seriously consider MetBank’s loan request and process a loan of US$15 million to settle the bank’s US$5 million depositors credit and US$10 million for use in housing projects and bring feedback the following day.

It is alleged that no minutes of the meeting were recorded. NSSA resolved to decline the US$15 million loan request after considering MetBank’s risk status.

However, Mupfumira and Masoka forced NSSA to purchase MetBank properties worth US$4 908 050 that they had not intended to purchase and after purchase of the properties and NSSA had transferred the money into MetBank account Mupfumira then received $44 600 from MetBank through her company Beautyview Investments (Pvt) Ltd, where she is a director and her children.

When Mupfumira received the US$44 600, she was aware that the deposits were proceeds of 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 money was used to offset a negative balance on her company account of US$39 777,14.

The State further alleges that sometime in July 2015, Mupfumira and Masoka unlawfully caused purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser VX-L 200 series from Croco Motors using US$90 000 corruptly obtained from NSSA on June 2, 2017.

She directed her ministry’s finance director Memory Mukondomi to write a letter to CMED misrepresenting that the vehicle bought using NSSA funds was a NSSA vehicle inferring that it would be taken back as it was appearing in NSSA audited financial statements.

As a result of the misrepresentation, CMED issued Mupfumira with a Jaguar and Masoka accepted the vehicle into the ministry and wilfully neglected to inform President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the appointing authority. Mupfumira effectively ended having three personal cars instead of two according to the condition of service.

Sometime in October 2017 after she left the ministry, she requested to purchase the three vehicles and was given permission to buy them knowing they were proceeds of crime.

It is further alleged that in 2016 she instructed Mukondomi to pay tickets for her aides Kutyamadzo Shumbayaonda, Sphiwe Dhliwayo, and Alexandria Bwerinofa using ministry funds.

The three were to attend her daughter’s wedding in Cape Town, South Africa.

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

Mupfumira and Masoka further incurred an unlawful R16 427 expenditure payment of taxi services using ministry funds.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA/DESMOND CHINGARANDE

NEARLY 2,4 million people living in urban areas in Zimbabwe are facing severe hunger in the forthcoming January to March lean season.

Speaking yesterday during World Food Day celebrations at Insukamini Irrigation Scheme in Vungu, Lower Gweru, World Food Programme (WFP) country director Eddie Rowe said there was need for unity to alleviate hunger in the country.

“According to ZIMVAC (Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee), more than 5,5 million rural people are expected to be food insecure during the peak of this year’s lean season.

Additionally, early projections suggested that 2,2 million more living in high-density urban areas, will also be affected,” he said.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Sekai Nzenza (pictured) told a meeting of rural district councillors yesterday in Harare that Matabeleland North and Masvingo provinces had the greatest need for food aid, with 36% and 34% of population facing starvation due to drought.

“This year we are seeking more food for the people, there is an increase of 11% to 2,4 million people seeking assistance. My ministry’s mandate is for people to get food,” Nzenza said.

Government recently announced that food aid distribution would be rolled out in urban areas in a bid to alleviate hunger that has been worsened by climate change effects as well as the economic meltdown currently bedevilling the country.

To date, WFP is expected to assist about two million people in rural areas between October and December with the number expected to rise to 2,7 million by January.
Rowe said there was need for long term investment to alleviate hunger.

“Zero hunger cannot be achieved by providing emergency food aid alone. More investment is needed on building the resilience of at-risk communities towards the threat of future climate shocks,” he said.

“The destruction caused by Cyclone Idai, on top of this year’s severe drought, and coupled with the current economic crisis, should act as a wake-up call. Investment in long-term projects that promote both economic and environmental sustainability are no longer a suggestion, but a necessity.”

This year’s celebrations were held under the theme Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World and were attended by various stakeholders, among them senior government officials.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

GOVERNMENT has provided an additional $700 million top up on the $168,7 million allocated for rural development by the ministry of finance in this year’s budget.

Speaking at the Association of the Rural District Councillors meeting in Harare yesterday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said rural councils were the backbone of the country.

“We gave you more than $168,7 million for devolution and rural development, again we have added $700 million. If there is drought in our rural areas the whole country will suffer from starvation and so the people from rural areas must be taken care of,” Mnangagwa said.

He claimed people from the countryside were disciplined and cannot be matched with those in urban areas.

“Did you see any demonstration at rural areas? Did you see rural people putting stones and burn tyres on roads? So people are those from the rural areas; so a clever government must look after those from the rural areas,” Mnangagwa said.

He also urged the rural councillors to listen to the problems given to them by people who voted for them and bring those problems to the national leadership for them to be solved.

Mnangagwa further told rural council chief executives to construct and repair roads saying there are 100 new buses on the way to be deployed to rural areas.

On prices of goods and services, Mnangagwa said he was now unleashing his “marinated” whip on retailers saying there is no justification on increasing prices.

“We talked about Silo shops a long time ago, but now we have money to operate those shops and there are only seven things we are targeting which we want to sell in these shops mealie meal: Sugar, cooking oil, salt and other basic things needed,” he said.

On the electricity, Mnangagwa said the country was now receiving 400 megawatts from South Africa and Mozambique as well as Zambia.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday threatened ‘troublesome’ union leaders reported to be inciting the strike by doctors at public health institutions.

“Last month we gave them an increment twice, but they refused to go back to work. Now we offered them 30% they refused. We offered them again 60% and still they are refusing to go back to work. We are now looking for those possessed with Legion (demons). We saw that there are a few who went aside at night to some meetings and they come to influence others who want to go back to work,” Mnangagwa told the inaugural meeting of the Association of Rural District Councillors in Harare.

“Kana uchiti uri mhesvamukono hatizivi kuti uchararama here nokuti rwendo rwurefu, kana uchiti wakangwara uchaona kuti hauna (If you think you are a bullfrog, let’s see if you will survive what lies ahead, we have a long way to go yet. If you think you are clever then you will see that you are not,” Mnangagwa warned.

Junior and mid-level doctors have been on strike for more than a month, demanding better pay and working conditions which has left major public hospitals largely deserted after nurses also joined the strike two weeks ago citing poor remuneration and overworking.

They defied a government ultimatum to return to work last Monday and a Labour Court ruled that their strike was illegal last Friday after rejecting a 60% pay rise offer from their employer which they say is not enough to keep up with soaring prices of basic goods.

More government workers have threatened to down tools next week demanding to be paid US dollar salaries pegged at the prevailing interbank rate, adding pressure to Mnangagwa’s struggling administration.

The southern African country is also in the grip of its worst economic crisis in a decade underpinned by rolling power cuts, a cash crunch and shortages of medicines, fuel and some basic commodities. Inflation has shot past 300% according to latest estimates by the International Monetary Fund. Zimbabwe, however, suspended in August announcing annualised inflation figures.

BY CHARLES LAITON

THE battle for control of the MDC yesterday took a new twist at the Supreme Court with former deputy president of the party, Thokozani Khupe challenging party leader, Nelson Chamisa (pictured) in his appeal against a High Court judgment which nullified his presidency in May this year.

The move by Khupe came after Chamisa’s lawyer advocate Thabani Mpofu, who was assisted by advocate Sylvester Hashiti, told Justices Paddington Garwe, Antoinette Guvava and Bharat Patel that Chamisa had decided to withdraw his appeal against Khupe, Elias Mudzuri and Douglas Mwonzora and also tendered to pay the wasted costs.

While Mudzuri and Mwonzora consented to the withdrawal of the appeal against them, and Elias Mashavira — who successfully challenged Chamisa’s appointment — also had no issues with the withdrawal, Khupe, through her lawyer Lovemore Madhuku declined the withdrawal.

Mashavira’s lawyer Ashell Mutungura, who was assisted by Sarudzai Chatsanga, told the court that his client had no issues with the withdrawal of the appeal against Mwonzora, Khupe and Mudzuri.

Khupe has, however, insisted that she intends to be part to the proceedings and defend the High Court judgment which wasdelivered in favour of MDC’s Gokwe Sesame district secretary, Mashavira.

In his submissions, Mpofu said it was baffling to note that Khupe had not been a part to the proceedings in the High Court and further that no judgment was passed in her favour, yet she was now insisting to be part of the proceedings in the Supreme Court.

“The third respondent (Khupe) takes nothing out of these proceedings and she cannot obtain a judgment in her favour. She did not obtain a judgment in the High Court and she can ask no judgment from this court,” Mpofu said.

He added that although Khupe did not appear in the High Court she was now the one leading the charge in opposing Chamisa’s request for access to the late party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai’s affidavit and the MDC’s original constitution.

In his address to the bench, Madhuku said Khupe had an interest in the current court proceedings arguing that the law says once the matter has been set down for hearing the applicant no longer enjoys the liberty to simply withdraw the same.

“Third respondent has an interest in these proceedings and she is prepared to defend the judgment of the High Court,” Madhuku said insisting that his client does not accept the withdrawal of the appeal against her.

As the matter continued Mpofu also indicated that his client was not happy with the copy of the party constitution which the Registrar of the High Court had obtained from another court record allegedly filed by Tsvangirai when he was defending his party’s constitution.

The challenge by Mpofu then prompted the Supreme Court to roll the matter over to today in order to allow all the parties to have access to the original court record and verify if the copy of the Constitution availed to the parties was the same with the one allegedly filed by Tsvangirai.

Chamisa’s appeal to the Supreme Court followed Justice Edith Mushore’s ruling in favour of Mashavira after he sought a declaration that Chamisa and Mudzuri’s appointments as MDC deputy presidents by Tsvangirai was unconstitutional.

The Zimbabwean business environment continues to weaken with an ever unpredictable rising cost structure as production inputs are always on the rise, with weekly fuel price increases leading the charge, load shedding crippling production and unstable exchange rates worsening the situation.

Businesses across various industries are failing to keep up with these ever increasing costs, hence passing the button to the customers by continuously pushing up prices to maintain the profit margins has become the norm.

The latest fuel price review by ZERA, hiking petrol of 27, 5% from ZWL 11. 76 to ZWL14, 97 per litre and that of diesel by 20, 7% from ZWL 12,42 to ZWL 15, 64 has once again punched the wind out of the business community’s lungs. Speculation confirms that we shall see the price of a litre going up beyond $20 by end of this month.

With less than 6 hours of electricity provision per day, most businesses are running using generators which consume the expensive and not so easy to get fuel.

Network base stations that keep the entire telecoms ecosystem up and running are now fuel powered with each consuming over 100 litres per day.

This puts pressure on the cost of running a network thus creating a whirlwind of price increases so as to sustain the business, as fuel is guzzling a significant proportion of their budgets. The telecommunication industry has been affected by all these inputs of production which are exchange rates to procure equipment, fuel to run base stations and ZESA unavailability and the recent tariff increase acerbates the situation.

Faced with all these insurmountable challenges and unfriendly environment, business sustainability will hinge on price changes to cushion their costs allowing businesses to break even.

Most businesses are now pinned on survival over profits. Other business objectives such as growth and expansion are now difficult to chase as the market’s disposable income is ever eroded by the hyper-inflationary environment (currently pegged at 390%) they are reeling under. Telecoms customer pocket share has been reduced drastically leaving them with less active daily or monthly customers plunging the entire operator and industry’s revenue streams into turmoil.

Zimbabwean RTGS currency is crushing! Crushing so fast that if there is no immediate solution to this we are soon going to be removing zeros.

We have all complained about the cost of living and yes communication as well, citing sharp price increases at face value, but easily forgetting the fact that it’s not just price increase but currency losing value.

Our Zimbabwean dollar has been made to trade at 1:1, for a very long against the USD, creating a false impression that our currency was strong, yet in reality, it was just the backing that was sustained, but for a certain period.

Everything is changing prices, but balancing off against the USD which in fact is reducing actual cost, which is a case that we need to analyze with a critical mind.

With the internet fast becoming a part of everyday life for a large majority of Zimbabweans, data consumption has increased exponentially as almost all forms of communication are internet-based. Although price hikes have become a day to day occurrence in the country, the cost of data remains a heated debate amongst peers, with local telecom companies becoming victims of public scrutiny.

Currently, a 1GB monthly data bundle on the Econet network, will cost you ZWL$110. While these amounts may send customers into a state of panic; when converted, Zimbabwe’s average cost of data remains competitive. The official interbank rate of the ZWL$15.5 to the US$1 leaves the cost of 1GB monthly data bundle at $7.10. A competitive price given the current economic standing of the country. According to a study by Cable.co.uk, a site which compares broadband prices, the global average for 1GB is $8.53; which proffers a difference of $1.43.

There are many elements to consider when analysing the cost of data, including infrastructural capacity of the service provider, the cost of international bandwidth, cost of licence fees & economic stability of the country in question. Most of these require foreign currency which resource is currently scarce in Zimbabwe. The exchange rates for ZWL to USD have reached alarming levels.
With the incessant drop in value of the RTGS, local operators are incurring daily loses for services provided, some of which are imported & paid for in USD.

Someone who is in touch with the reality of the Zimbabwean situation would be cognisant of the latter & realise that the main issue is not the supposedly high cost of data but the economic instability within the country. Addressing this issue would not only make for a fair playing field but also see significant changes & reduction in cost of living expenses for all Zimbabweans.

Zimbabwe’s disaster preparedness, which came under spotlight following the devastating Cyclone Idai that hit Manicaland in March this year, has received a boost following the German government’s €10 million intervention through its development bank, KfW.

The funds, which have been committed to the second phase of the Education Development Fund(EDF), seek to improve access to quality education for Zimbabwe’s children.

The funds will be used to support Disaster Risk Reduction in the drought and cyclone affected Districts by increasing national capacity to provide access to age-appropriate, quality learning opportunities and minimize the effects of disasters on learning; increasing learning opportunities for out-of-school children, young people and disadvantaged children, and strengthening political commitment, accountability and national capacity towards inclusive education.

German Ambassador to Zimbabwe Thorsten Hutte

“The timely and immense support from Germany to Cyclone Idai emergency response resulted in minimum interruption of children’s schooling and we are pleased that this new funding will enable the Ministry to institutionalise disaster risk reduction and resilience building within our education system,” said Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Hon. Paul Mavima.

Germany has been one of the major contributors to EDF since its inception in 2010 (as the Education Transition Fund), having donated over €32 million from 2011- 2015; and an additional €14 million to the first phase of the EDF.
In 2018, Germany contributed an additional Euro 15 million to support the School Improvement Grants (SIG), including school feeding; Disaster Risk Management; reliable access to water and sanitation services for schools; and the implementation of the new curriculum. This support from the German Government has ensured that the gains in the education sector are sustained.

“The Funding made available by the German Government has helped us to protect and continue building upon the successes of the EDF. Our focus should now be upon sustaining those gains, especially this year as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” said UNICEF Representative, Laylee Moshiri.

Through the German support, ensuring access to education during disasters, and minimizing school interruptions; Building capacity for Disaster Risk Reduction and resiliency within the education sector; Restoring WASH in cyclone and drought affected Schools.

“This additional funding of the EDF in Zimbabwe demonstrates Germany’s commitment to ensure access to quality schooling for all children in Zimbabwe. It also demonstrates my Government’s commitment to assist those in need,” said German Ambassador H.E. Dr Thorsten Hutter.

About Education Development Fund
The Education Development Fund is led by the Government of Zimbabwe, in partnership with UNICEF and is supported by the Governments of Germany and the United Kingdom. The second phase of the Education Development Fund(EDF II) 2016-2020 will give provide additional equity in access, learning outcomes and improving the education system. It will improve targeting of the most marginalised children, especially those with disabilities

Tafadzwa Kachiko

TINOTENDA Chikombeka, popularly known as Diego Tryno (DT) in music circles, is a young, emerging urban contemporary and hip hop artiste who seems to be gaining a lot of traction in the southern African region although little is known about him locally. NewsDay (ND) Life & Style correspondent Tafadzwa Kachiko speaks to the artiste, who is also a chemical engineering student.

ND: Locally your name is not that popular. Why?

DT: Well, when I began my career, I did not push my name locally because back then family members forbade me from doing music. I tried very hard to make sure that my music never reached their ears.

ND: What got you into music?

DT: Passion, I repeat passion. I started singing at nine. Back then, my instrument was a mock guitar which I made using an empty oil tin and a twine. I played sungura music and usually imitated Alick Macheso’s tunes. I know the lyrics of most of his songs.

ND: But you are not singing sungura…

DT: Around 2012, I changed my genre to dancehall and I staged as Ricky D, a name I believed could become popular because I was one of the few youngest dancehall artistes at that time.

ND: If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing right now?

DT: As I grew up, I tried acting, dancing, poetry and eventually opted to focus on music. I was very passionate about the arts. If joining the music industry had failed, I was, therefore, going to be somewhere in the arts industry, the next Gringo, probably.

ND: What inspires your music style?

DT: Daily happenings influence my music very much; life struggles and happy moments. A person can share with me their life experiences or I observe and the next thing I create lyrics out of that. Most of the time I take people’s problems as mine and this has helped me to craft lyrics that impact people’s lives.

ND: What is your favourite part about this line of work as well as your least favourite?

DT: I like the way my music impacts other people’s lives. I constantly get messages from strangers saying my songs touched them. Some even go to the extent of naming their children after my songs or stage name. It’s a priceless feeling, especially when you are not quite famous. The least favourite part is when I’m approached by promoters asking me to perform for free so as to gain exposure. Every artiste should be appreciated appropriately.

ND: Why did you choose to work with urban contemporary and hip hop?

DT: It’s funny that some people prefer my music when I rap or just do hip hop and others prefer it when I do a little bit of singing. So, I sat down with my previous management to figure out how best we could make all our fans happy. That’s when I chose both genres. Urban contemporary is a mixture of everything to be precise, but hip hop will always be my secondary genre.

ND: Why are you not active on social media despite having several accounts?

DT: Well, my manager, Trissha Jones, realised that locally I was very popular on social media, especially Facebook, than I was on the ground. She, therefore, decided to minimise my social media presence to direct energies to marketing projects organically by way of submitting our music to radio stations, party DJs and kombi drivers. Jones advised that without relying on social media, we can now create physical relations with a lot of people. That’s why now we are getting much airplay and coverage in the mainstream media.

ND: If you could have the fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?

DT: Most fans remember me because of my music videos, especially Mabvuta. Fans constantly comment on the simplicity and uniqueness of the videos and my hairstyle. International and regional fans remember me for my stance on human rights issues. In 2016 I was a mouthpiece against women abuse, child abuse and xenophobia through songs Mwana Mwana and Stop Xenophobia, which featured Wierly. Mwana Mwana became a theme song for a local drama, Rudo.

ND: Your music is played in different countries such as Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and the United States. How did you manage to get airplay there?

DT: My family had forbidden me from doing music and asked me to focus more on education. So, to ensure that they would not bump into my music, I created strong links in other countries. I shared my story with radio station managers in other countries and they understood it. That’s how I got my music playing on international radios. I have done most of my interviews over the phone. South Africans thought I was South African, Zambians thought I was Zambian. It was only last year when I disclosed that I was Zimbabwean.

ND: What’s the meaning of AGE in your album titles?

DT: It’s an abbreviation that stands for All Generations Entwined to mean that the album will be constituting music for all generations. You will find a track for children, youths or the elderly.

DT: Tell us about the collaborations you have done?

DT: I have done countless collaborations. Most of the tracks I released last year and this year were collabos. I have worked with Yung Deaf Lee, Twele Soft, Yung Wayne, Slym4wad and Baba Hungwe. My most memorable collaborations were with Batswana and South African musicians because the process was done online during which we exchanged files through email.

ND: Which musician would you like to collaborate with next?

DT: I would love to work with the legend Kiren Zulu. However, fans can also expect my collaboration with Gift Amuli, Tatenda Mahachi, Ti Gonzi and DJ Dagizus based in Texas anytime soon.

ND: Who is behind your success in music?

DT: A lot of people contributed immensely towards my success. It is hard to be known in other countries than your own. Companies that include Futurama Co, Colorado Musical Entertainment (CME), Botswana’s Very Own (PVO-BVO), Media Empire Entertainment, Zedaz Entertainment and 579 Entertainment contributed much in my music career.

ND: What advice would you give to someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

DT: Create friendship, families with everyone you work with. It is not all about money. People motivated by passion and brotherhood work better than those motivated by money.

So in this journey you need to mix with the right people who have the right motives.

ROMAN Catholic priest Father Mobie Musakatiza ropes in Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo in his just released third album titled Nyararisa.

By Tafadzwa Rusike Gondo

Father Musakatiza

Speaking about collaborations Father Musakatiza said he roped in two prominent musicians Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo to give a cutting edge to his just released album.

“On the Album, there are two collaborations I did with Tryson Chimbetu and Andy Muridzo. Tryson Chimbetu helped me on the song Zarura, and with Andy Muridzo we did the song Maidei,” he said.

Speaking about the album Father Musakatiza said his six track records comes two years after releasing one of his finest albums Usacheuke in 2017.

“Nyararisa is my third album containing six tracks all recorded at Oskid Productions” he said.

“My favourite track is Nyararisa. It’s a song asking God to hear the cries of people who are about to give up on life and the beauty it carries,” he added.

He said he also worked with Aggabu Nyabinde who did the guitars on the album and Steven ‘Stavo’ Nyoni on the Saxophone.

The cleric released his first gospel album in 2011 titled Makandikomborera before taking a six-year sabbatical.

His music is mind blowing for he takes an unorthodox route to express himself. While expecting to hear the serene usual Roman Catholic cadenza of Mwari Huyai with just drums and hosho, Fr Musakatiza goes for the contemporary gospel style laden with various instruments like guitars, pianos among others.

The album is available for purchase on all digital stores.