BY ELINERA MANYONGA

A 28-YEAR-OLD Harare man and six accomplices, still at large, used machetes and iron bars to gain entry into a house and raped a woman before making off with a Mercedes Benz, US$4 100 and various goods.

Honest Mufutumari was yesterday not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him in custody to October 30.

The court heard that on October 6, at around midnight, the accused and his accomplices forced open the complainants’ kitchen door to gain entry into the house.

They approached the complaints, who were asleep, and force-marched them to the lounge where they ordered them to lie facing downwards.

One of the robbers raped a woman once in the bathroom without using protection.

Two other robbers took another woman into the storeroom where they sexually assaulted her before stealing six cellphones, two laptops, a sub-woofer, a Dstv explorer decoder, an Africom WiFi modem, 42 inch Samsung television set, two DvDs, two suitcases with baby clothes, US$4 110 and $600.

They also defecated in a bucket full of mealie meal, loaded the stolen property into a CLK Mercedes Benz vehicle belonging to one of the women and fled from the scene.

The women reported the matter at Southlea Park Police Station and Mufutumari was arrested on October 15. He was found with three cellphones belonging to the women and also led police where he had dumped the stolen vehicle, leading to its recovery.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Members of the Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) yesterday asked Parliament to revise the Coroner’s Office Bill as it has some clauses that could impose punitive measures on doctors in the event that a patient dies in their care.

The issue came out during a public hearing at Parliament Building by the Misheck Mataranyika-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice on the Coroner’s Office Bill.

If crafted, the Bill provides for establishment of the Coroner’s Office, responsible for investigating all deaths that come about as a result of unnatural causes.

It also seeks to create an independent and fully-fledged office to effectively and impartially investigate unnatural deaths.

Sylvester Nyatsuro, a ZiMA member, said there was need for the legislation to protect the medical profession from any undue prosecution should a patient die in their hands.

“As a profession we deal with death, some patients recover, but on a significant proportion, some may die, and when a Bill like this comes before Parliament, we need to ensure that we protect the medical profession,” Nyatsuro said.

“For example, in the United Kingdom, I actually participated in a number of coroners’ inquests. I was a general practitioner and one of my roles was that if a patient died, I needed to explain to the coroner and then he would take over and investigate. The coroner’s interests are that he wants to know the causes of death.

“The lessons learnt are that if we introduce this Bill with punitive measures, it will be difficult for medical practitioners to practice. We should allow the coroner to gather information and make recommendations because most of us are in the medical field to help patients.”

Another ZiMA member, Christopher Samukange, suggested changes to different clauses in the Coroner’s Bill.

For instance, Samukange said Clause 5 of the Bill, which says that the coroner and the deputy coroner must be appointed by the President, must be changed.

“I would like to suggest that we delete ‘appointed by the President’, and, instead, say that the coroner and deputy coroner will be appointed in the same manner that judges go through public interviews so that the appointments are transparent,” he said.

On qualifications of the coroner, he said for example, in the UK most coroners were medically qualified.

The Bill stipulates that for one to be appointed Coroner-General, they must hold a qualification in forensic medicine, forensic pathology, forensic science or any other relevant qualifications.

Samukange also said that Clause 6 must clearly outline whether the fiscus will create a fund to fund the coroner’s office.

He said the Bill must not give the Home Affairs minister the power to stop an inquest on deaths — whether at hospitals, prisons, and other places.

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.