By Harriet Chikandiwa

A 41-YEAR-OLD Murewa woman allegedly duped a political ex-detainee of his $9 600 pension by illegally transferring the money into her bank account.

Audrey Muteera appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded her to October 21.

The complainant is Tarwirei Kadira (61), an ex-political detainee on government pension.

It is alleged that sometime this month, Kadira engaged Muteera to assist him go through the process of claiming his pension.

The court heard that Kadira did all the processes with Muteera’s help until the money started reflecting in his bank account.

Kadira allegedly later went to the pension office to receive his payslip in the company of Muteera who claimed to know the pensions staff.

Upon receiving the playslip, it is alleged that Muteera grabbed it from the complainant.

It is alleged that the complainant, in the company of the accused, then visited Steward Bank Avondale branch intending to transfer the money to his POSB account.

However, Muteera allegedly took advantage of Kadira’s illiteracy and misrepresented to him that she completed five outward payment of Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) forms authorising transfer of funds totalling $9 600 from Kadira’s Steward Bank to POSB bank account, yet in fact she made the transfer to her personal account.

The court heard that Kadira was deceived by the misrepresentation and appended his signature on the completed RTGS forms authorising the purported transfer amounting to $9 600.

With the help of his children, Kadira later noted the offence and obtained a bank statement which unearthed the scam.

BY ADMIRE JAMU-MLAMBO

AFRO-JAZZ artiste Brian Nyahuma and The African Pride are set to release their seventh album Rwendo My Journey, 15 years after the musician first ventured into music.

Nyahuma said the 11-track new offering carried the songs Abiyangu, Cheziya, Usaropafadza, Mutunga Dzose, Ndokuti Rudo, Kudakwashe, Ndinotenda Amai, Ndiringe, Hands Off, Svodai, Kudakwashe and Rwendo.

The musician said the album’s themes addressed people’s day-to-day social challenges.

“I mainly act as a social commentator, humanitarian and an awareness campaigner in my music as it addresses our day-to-day social life, but it is also mainly about celebrating my journey in the music industry,” he said.

The African Pride frontman said his message was designed to bring hope, transformation, inspire, educate and entertain listeners.

“Abiyangu is about greeting my fans, on Cheziya I am communicating with the Lord that I have come a long way, working hard, but the results are not coming. Usaropafadza urges people not to gossip about each other after divorce. In Mutunga Dzose I warn people to be careful with friends who pretend to be nice while Ndokuti Rudo and Rwendo are about love. I urge people to understand and address the issue of depression and mental health,” she said.

In Ndinotenda Amai, Nyahuma said he was expressing gratitude to his mother for the love he received from her while Svoda and Kudakwashe renounce early child marriages and teach people to write wills.

The Kambuzuma-born artiste has also been involved in collaborations with a number of seasoned artistes including Clive “Mono” Mkundu, Blessing Mparutsa, Enock Piroro, Philip Svosve, the late Sam Mtukudzi and Adam Chisvo.

Havok ZW

By Freeman Makopa

SOUTH AFRICA-BASED DJ and blogger Blessing “Havok ZW” Jena has launched an online competition — Mic Mashup Online Talent Show — designed to unearth hidden talent in the country’s remote areas as well as the diaspora.

Havok ZW told NewsDay Life & Style that the winner of the competition will receive recording contracts and a fashion outfit.

“The objective is to realise the impact of internet connectivity in our day-to-day lives and give an opportunity to hidden talent, especially the ones in remote areas and living abroad,” he said.

“We have been offered recording contracts by a number of studios in Zimbabwe such as Cymplex Music, Chilfrl, Kenako Music and Yala Nation. In addition, Seh Calaz offered free mentorship for the finalists and winner. A clothing line based in South Africa, Makare 5054 Urban Apparel, will award the winner a complete fashion outfit,” he said.

Havok ZW said they launched the competition to gauge the impact of internet connectivity in people’s day-to-day lives.

The wheel spinner said they received 23 entries; 17 from Zimbabwe, five from Cape Town and one from Namibia. DJ Havok has worked with several musicians on different projects and tours. In 2018, he collaborated with a Ugandan dancehall artiste, Tai Tan and Drum Dada on a song titled Dance for Me.

BY CLIFF CHIDUKU

AFTER diamonds were discovered in the south-eastern parts of Manicaland province’s Marange communal lands in 2006, many people, especially those living around villages of Chiadzwa, expected their lives to be positively transformed.

Instead, they were relocated to the State-owned Arda Transau Farm, 40km outside Mutare, to pave way for commercial mining activities.

“I used to do farming projects around the year which would provide enough food for my family. We never lacked. I have had enough of the poverty here,” Nomore Dzidzi said, adding that she was now considering selling her house at Arda Transau and start a new life afresh elsewhere.

Dzidzi’s case is not isolated. Several years after Nomsa Muuya and her family were relocated to the same farm, the only benefit she has accrued is a four-roomed house and the rest is a sad tale.

She confessed that she has now resorted to prostitution and drug abuse to drown her sorrows.

“Some of us had no choice, but to engage in commercial sex work to make a living. If we had alternative ways of survival, we would quit the trade. It is unfortunate that we were not given equal employment opportunities in the mining companies,” she said.

Save Odzi Community Network Trust’s Tichaenzana Chibuwe said: “The situation at Arda Transau is desperate. Villagers lost all their livestock as the area has no pastures. Now they cannot afford to pay school fees for their children and the burden often falls on the mothers who have to take minial jobs to raise school fees.”

As if this was not challenging enough, Arda Transau villagers are also being forced to buy water as their water sources have given up to drought.

It’s a far cry from what they had in Marange before they were forced to relocate. There, the land was arable and water sources, which would provide the precious liquid all year round, were nearby.

Theirs is a case of unfulfilled promises. The government and mining companies had promised them decent housing, employment and compensation for loss of livelihood.

Malvern Mudiwa, the chairman of the Marange Development Trust, says at first, the discovery of diamonds was a boon for locals, as villagers upgraded their lives.

“Development was everywhere. People managed to send their children to school; even universities. Others managed to buy irrigation equipment. Solar power would light homes all night. Marange was virtually a town in a rural setting. It was evident that everyone was benefitting,” he said.

But then when commercial mining started in 2008, everything took a rude turn. Seven companies, among them Marange Resources, Diamond Mining Company, Gyn Nyame Resources, Kusena Diamonds and Mbada Diamonds, were licenced to mine alluvial diamonds. However in 2016, these companies were collapsed and consolidated into State-owned Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC). Even though Anjin and Jinan were also kicked out along with other companies, they have since resumed operations. The area was sealed. Soldiers were deployed to ensure that no one was trespassing. Allegations of looting and corruption were rampant. Something had to be done to coordinate mining activities so that proceeds from diamond sales would reach Treasury coffers.

In his 2013 budget statement, the then Finance ninister Tendai Biti lamented the low diamond proceeds to Treasury with government in 2012 receiving a paltry US$41 million dividend, yet Mbada Diamonds claimed it declared over US$117 as dividend.

Perhaps to dramatise the heavy losses from the diamond industry, the late former President Robert Mugabe suggested that Zimbabwe could have lost US$15 billion in revenue. However, the figure is way above earnings in the global diamond sector during the time. Kimberly Process statistics for 2012 shows that the total volume of production of rough diamonds was close to 128 million carats, amounting to a total value of over US$12,6 billion. However, imports and exports of rough diamonds have reached US$50,92 billion and US$50,27 billion, respectively.

A 2013 Financial Action Task Force report titled Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Through Trade in Diamonds said in 2012 Zimbabwe produced 12,06 million carats of diamond worth US$640 million.

In a 2013 report, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines noted that: “The committee observed with concern that from the time that the country was allowed to trade its diamonds on the world market, the government has not realised any meaningful contributions from the sector. This is despite the fact that production levels and the revenue generated from exports have been on the increase.”

However, the committee noted that sanctions imposed on diamond companies operating in Chiadzwa by the United States government were creating loopholes in the diamond trade.

“This (sanctions) has made it difficult for the companies to effectively market and trade their diamonds at competitive prices. Currently, the diamonds are sold at below 25% of the normal price. In the process, the sanctioned diamond companies are trading their diamonds through unconventional means because major international banks, insurance companies and couriers do not want to be associated with Marange diamonds. As a result of these financial restrictions, a number of loopholes have been created leading to fiscal leakages, promotion of corruption and national insecurity.”

Such leakages include trade misinvoicing, according to the Centre for Natural Resource Governance (CNRG).

Trade misinvoicing is the deliberate falsification of value, volume and/or type of commodity in an international commercial transaction of goods or services by a party to the transaction. By manipulating the price, quantity or quality of a good or service on an invoice submitted to authorities, companies and individuals can easily shift substantial sums of money across international borders.

The misinvocing of diamonds was made possible when Mines and Mining Development ministry secretary Francis Gudyanga and Mbada Diamonds chairman Robert Mhlanga were appointed to the Dubai Diamond Exchange (DDE) board. DDE, a subsidiary of Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC), is the diamond trading platform of the UAE. DMCC can be equated to the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ). It was a serious case of conflict of interest.

This comes as Zimbabwe, which at one time held at least 25% of the world’s diamonds, is struggling with foreign currency, electricity, drugs and fuel shortages, partly due to continued illicit financial flows in the mining sector.

Anjin, a joint venture between Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group (Afecc) and Matt Bronze, a Zimbabwe Defence Industries subsidiary, was named by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in February 2018 as having externalised foreign currency.

The Chinese miner, along with other players operating in Chiadzwa, was kicked out by the government for allegedly looting the country’s diamonds. Even though they refute the claims, the Chinese company were accused of disregarding environmental laws, underpaying workers and smuggling diamonds. According to CNRG, Anjin officials reportedly stashed diamonds in wooden sculptures which they would export to China via Mozambique.

Overson Mugwisi, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokesperson, did not respond to requests for an interview.

However, while Sugar Chagonda, ZCDC spokesperson refused to speak on the former mining companies; he said the new consolidated company has since its inception in 2016 initiated several corporate social responsibility programmes.

“Because it (ZCDC) operates in this country, it becomes a responsible citizen of Zimbabwe. Thus by being a citizen, ZCDC helps communities and the government. It is our obligation to better the lives of those in need, the underprivileged. In March this year, we rehabilitated Chiadzwa and Mukwada clinics as the health of the people in areas we operate are a priority to use.”

He also added that in June the company rehabilitated 20 hectares of disused mining area as part of environmental management.

Chagonda said ZCDC recently paid US$5 million to the Marange Zimunya Community Share Ownership Trust to initiate developmental projects, including rebuilding schools, rehabilitating roads and borehole sinking.

This story was written as part of Wealth of Nations, a media skills development programme run by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. More information at www.wealth-of-nations.org. The content is the sole responsibility of the author and the publisher.

Lawyers have urged Chief Justice Luke Malaba to remove the presidential immunity clause from the country’s statutes to ensure that a sitting President is not insulated from criminal proceedings.

By Tatenda Chitagu

The call was made when Malaba was giving a public lecture at Great Zimbabwe University last Friday when lawyers called for the amendment of section 98 of the Constitution which insulates a sitting President from civil or criminal trials.

But Malaba said the section cannot be scrapped off without a referendum as the supreme law of the land was a product of the people. He said the best Zimbabweans can do about the clause is “to debate about it”.

“The question of immunity, I do not want to interpret it. It is a constitutional question, I hope you understand what I mean. It (the clause) cannot go beyond something, it cannot be taken away when it’s legislated by the Constitution itself,” Malaba said.

“We must accept that the people of Zimbabwe who are the midwives of the Constitution, decided that. They then decided we will have this situation for us as Zimbabweans. Whether it applies in South Africa or somewhere else, they are not interested.”

He added: “So who am I, being under the Constitution and not being above the law, who am I to say no, this is wrong? I cannot. It is an important question, but I think it is a philosophical question. I think the best we can do is to debate it until there is an amendment.”

Section 98 reads: “(i) While in public office, the President is not liable to civil or criminal proceedings in any court for things done or omitted to be done in his personal capacity. (ii) Civil or criminal proceedings may be instituted against a former President for things done or omitted to be done before he or she became President or while he or she was President.”

POLICE yesterday shut down the MDC headquarters in Harare following the alleged discovery of 210 riot police and 41 municipal police helmets in a basement of a nearby building, but the opposition party accused the police of deliberately planting the anti-riot gear to justify a crackdown on government critics.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

As early as 7am, armed police had cordoned off the Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House, the opposition headquarters and Robinson House where the helmets were allegedly recovered on Saturday afternoon, forcing MDC workers to abandon their offices.

Police also intensified patrols in and around Harare and other cities while keeping a heavy presence at all intersections in the central business district. They also mounted roadblocks and conducted random body searches on commuters on all major roads leading into the city, possibly in anticipation of riots.

The MDC yesterday accused the police of manufacturing the “discovery of helmets” as a pretext to clamp down on the opposition, and alleged that it had evidence that the “recovered” helmets at the basement of Robinson House had been sent for a public auction by the police themselves and sold to a private individual.

“It turns out that the helmets were sent there by the police through ABC Auctions, only to raid them and claim it was someone’s. Zanu PF is funny,” MDC leader Nelson Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda said.

Police could neither confirm nor deny counter claims by the MDC, saying investigations were still underway.

“We are investigating, investigations are under way right now,” police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.

On heavy police presence around Morgan Tsvangirai House, Nyathi said: “It was not a heavy presence of police at the MDC headquarters, but members of the public have expressed concern over attacks that took place in that area by youths who control parking. In keeping with their constitutional mandate to protect members of the public, we deployed police to that problem area.”

In the morning, MDC secretary-general Chalton Hwende described the heavy police deployment as a cowardly act by a desperate regime failing to deal with pressing problems faced by the citizens.

“It is a cowardly act which won’t move us, our workers were scared out of the office and the area sealed off. How does trying to threaten a legitimate party solve the socio-economic problems that are rocking the country?” he said.

In a statement, party deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka condemned the actions by the police.

“Armed police have laid siege at the MDC headquarters starting early this morning in what is clearly a choreographed attempt to clamp down on the peaceful people’s movement. First was a story in the Zanu PF-controlled media in which the police said they had discovered riot and municipal helmets at Robinson House in Harare which they are surprisingly trying to link to the party headquarters,” Tamborinyoka said.

The MDC said the actions by the police reflect panic as there was a ground swell of unhappiness over the collapsing social fabric finding expression in demonstrations.

“The illegitimate regime is getting desperate and all these are frantic attempts to ban and proscribe legitimate political activity; just as they have done with peaceful demonstrations,” the MDC said.

“For the record, we are a peaceful, law-abiding political party that poses no danger to human life. Available evidence points to the fact that in the past 12 months, it is the (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa regime that has killed people, both in August 2018 and in January 2019 and the perpetrators have not been brought to book,” the MDC said.

Before banning protests by the MDC in August, police claimed it had discovered catapults and stones that the opposition intended to use for criminal activities during the protests.

The MDC and the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions have been mulling protests over the escalating prices of goods and services at a time doctors are still on strike, a move that has the potential of crippling the country.

Striking doctors at public hospitals are likely to face a contempt of court charge for defying a Labour Court order issued last Friday compelling them to report for duty within 48 hours of the ruling which declared their collective job action as illegal.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA/ ELINERA MANYONGA/VANESSA GONYE

But, the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors’ Association (ZHDA) leadership met its members at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals yesterday where they vowed to stay at home until government ensured that they earn meaningful salaries.

Addressing members, ZHDA secretary-general, Tawanda Zvakada said the order of the Labour Court did not change anything because they remain incapacitated.

“It is not like we are feigning incapacitation; the incapacitation is real, so unless the court provides the means for us to report for work, feed ourselves and our children, which we can’t do at the moment, then it does not change anything. It is important to note that a court order must be enforceable in this case in as much as we want to comply we are incapable,” Zvakada said.

Doctors are demanding that government pays them the equivalent of their United States dollar salaries in local currency pegged at the interbank rate, which is currently the 1:15 rate to the US dollar.

Doctors on average earn $2 000 which is almost equivalent to US$120 per month which they say cannot meet their day-to-day cost of living needs.

ZHDA treasurer-general Tapiwa Mungofa said: “If only we could get a court order to buy groceries from shops, to pay rent or to buy fuel, then we won’t hesitate to accept a court order. Until then, we are incapacitated to report for duty. We could appeal against the Labour Court ruling to the Supreme Court, but we do not even have money to pay lawyers because our struggle is real,” Mungofa said.

Facing the risk of being fired or sanctioned, the doctors said going back to work on the paltry salaries would be as good as being fired while on the job, because government was paying them an equivalent of 10 chickens a month.

“Doctors, let us bring sanity to our profession. We cannot even buy 10 birds of chicken with our salaries, so we will not report for duty until our employer offers a tangible solution,” said Rumbidzai Jhamba, a member of ZHDA, during a solidarity meeting.

The doctors, who are preparing to receive their leader, acting president Peter Magombeyi – who has been receiving treatment in South Africa after he was allegedly abducted and tortured last month, said they will not relent.

“Our (ZHDA) president Peter Magombeyi is set to return home any time this week. He is recovering well and still receiving outpatient treatment and counselling in South Africa. We are in constant communication with him and we are re-engaging him in our struggle and he is still in solidarity with us,” Zvakada said.

Health ministry spokesperson Donald Mujiri said he was locked up in a meeting to deal with the issue of doctors’ strike and could not immediately state government’s position regarding the job action.

“I am currently in a meeting to deal with that matter, so I cannot give you further information,” he said.

However, doctors at Chitungwiza Central Hospital seemed to sing a different tune as they reported for duty in their numbers, except a few.

Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Enock Mayida confirmed that since the strike commenced over 40 days ago, doctors at the institution had not entirely downed tools.

“Generally, the doctors were reporting for duty since the strike began, consultants were available doing their work. The majority of those who had not been coming to work reported for duty today (yesterday). They responded to the 48-hour ultimatum although we were not entirely affected from the onset,” he said.

The doctors have remained defiant, in a strike which is the sixth since the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government came into power with perennial demands dating back from the later former President Robert Mugabe era.

RESERVE Bank of Zimbabwe deputy governor Khuphukile Mlambo and other senior staffers at the central bank face contempt of Parliament charges after they failed to attend a Public Accounts Committee (Pac) meeting where they were supposed to be grilled over money released towards Command Agriculture.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Pac, led by Tendai Biti, had invited RBZ governor John Mangudya to appear before it, but he (Mangudya) failed to appear because he is in the United States on official duty.

Since Mangudya is away, the committee expected that his deputy Mlambo would come in his place to speak on the US$3,2 billion that was allocated through Treasury Bills (TBs) to finance Command Agriculture without Parliament approval.

The ambitious agricultural scheme was run by Sakunda Holdings, owned by Kudakwashe Tagwirei, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s top ally and adviser.

“This started as a basic enquiry pertaining to the Auditor-General’s reports on the 2017/18 audit statement on Command Agriculture, but we now find that there are other unallocated reserves of US$847 million – and the enquiry is now a full enquiry,” Biti told journalists.

“We had summoned Mangudya to give oral evidence which is key in our enquiry – and in our last two sessions we had Mlambo and two other RBZ directors.

“Mlambo can be excused in the event that Mangudya is present, but regrettably, we have a letter from Mangudya saying he is in Washington DC, but there is no reason why Mlambo and other officers are not in attendance.”

Biti continued: “We find them in contempt of Parliament, and their conduct is unacceptable in terms of section 117 and 119 of the Constitution, and section 208 and 209 give MPs the mandate to do its oversight role to follow up on money from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.”

The committee said they will now summon Mlambo and RBZ directors to appear before Parliament on October 24 to speak on RBZ’s role in issuing out money for the Command Agriculture programme outside the Public Finance Management Act.

“If they default we will ask the Clerk of Parliament to issue a warrant of arrest. We want to express our disappointment, indignation and rejection of the conduct of the RBZ because the amounts that were spent outside Parliament approval are very huge and we have a duty to follow up on the money. There were huge amounts of money that were paid to individuals,” Biti said.

The committee also said they were very keen to further quiz officials from the Finance ministry named as Fidelis Ngorora, Churu, and the new accountant-general (if there is any given that former Accountant General Daniel Muchemwa resigned recently).

“On the same day, we are also going to receive oral evidence from key suppliers of Command Agriculture like FSG, Pedstock Investments and Croco Motors. On a separate day, we are going to summon Sakunda because we need a whole day to quiz them over the Command Agriculture issue,” Biti said.