THE November 2017 coup brought new dreams and hopes among the citizens, many who believed the new regime would knock corruption off very high perch. However, after ad infinitum calls against the corruption cancer and no practical action, citizens’ hopes are fast fading away.

Corruption continues to hurt the economy, slowing down development and the fight against poverty is going off rails. It can only take a competent leadership and political will to stem corruption – and all that is in short supply in Zimbabwe at the moment.

Since coming to power through a coup, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been waxing lyrical about fighting corruption. In his quest to fight the scourge, Mnangagwa established a special anti-corruption unit in his office and dissolved the disgraced Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc). The President then appointed a new Zacc board, chaired by Loice Matanda-Moyo, after the previous Zacc body was accused of corruption and lacking the “teeth to bite”.

Last year, Mnangagwa gave us a long list of individuals and companies accused of externalising nearly US$1 billion. The list provided fodder for Zacc to start investigations and bring the culprits to book, but it seems the case has suffered a still-birth. In July, Matanda-Moyo said the commission had received Auditor-General (AG) Mildred Chiri’s report and investigations had commenced in respect of ministries, parastatals and State entities involved in corruption and misappropriation of funds. Chiri’s report revealed that the government last year had a $2 billion budget overrun without parliamentary approval, when parastatals, State entities and local authorities unashamedly flouted accounting procedures. According to the AG’s report, the government was supposed to spend $4,6 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, but ended up spending $7,1 billion.

The Zacc boss said the report was fodder for investigations into corruption, theft, misappropriation of funds and abuse of power and or any other improper conduct committed in the public sector, adding that Zacc had received at least 38 corruption reports since assuming duty, of which a dozen were high-profile cases.

While we have not witnessed many arrests or convictions, other than catch-and-release shows, last week we were told Zacc was casting its nets wider to recover ill-gotten wealth stashed in foreign lands by engaging regional governments in the fight against corruption. Have we exhausted the AG’s report? What has happened to the externalisation list? What has happened to 15 top Zanu PF and government officials, including Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, Cabinet ministers and business leaders who were accused by the ruling party youth league of running illegal foreign currency rings?

This lackadaisical approach is corruption in itself – it’s self-defeating. What Zimbabweans are expecting is action, not sloganeering and posturing. There is no excuse because evidence of corruption is readily available. What is now needed is for Matanda-Moyo to bite the bullet and descend on the big fish in high offices, not herrings.

This gung-ho approach in fighting corruption will not help the Zimbabwean cause. What we have seen so far is not a genuine anti-corruption campaign, but a pursuit of personal and political agendas and vendettas disguised as zero tolerance to graft.

A handful of people who have been arrested on corruption charges are either in the wrong basket or small fish. Former Tourism minister Priscah Mupfumira is a good example. A fish rots from the head. The anti-corruption fight has gone to the dogs. At this rate, no one, including those in his inner circle, still take Mnangagwa’s anti-graft rhetoric seriously. It’s a case of all bark, no bite!

Zimbabweans must have a buy-in and own the fight against corruption. The fact that small fish and a few people perceived to be anti-establishment are the ones the corruption dragnet has caught raises questions. The command “ugly-culture” is one vehicle that well-to-do and connected individuals have been using to loot and self-enrich. This programme should be disinfected.

If he wants to be believed, Mnangagwa must urgently confront dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery, fraud and theft, as well as other criminal activities. What is needed is political will to tackle corruption in all its various manifestations. Granting Zacc prosecutorial powers will yield nothing if not accompanied by political will.

The judiciary is the last frontier in the fight against corruption with growing calls for this arm of government, charged with implementing the law, to be reformed.

In South Africa, judicial officers are performing much better than their counterparts in the region. Prosecution and trials of accused persons is conducted as quickly as legally permissible. Judges are expected to hand down written judgements that are automatically loaded online within 30 days of concluding a case. Zimbabwean courts can learn something from their colleagues from across the Limpopo River. They have to start delivering judgments soon after trials are concluded, not the current scenario where full judgments are only made available in many instances nearly two years later.

How does this help? Making full judgments available helps dispel the notion that the bench is captured or influenced as more often than not everyone can read for themselves the reasoning behind the judge’s decision. This would go a long way in making justice transparent and people could judge for themselves if justice is being done.

It seems Matanda-Moyo is biting more than she can chew. While Zacc has not hit the ground running on the local front in terms of recovering the local loot, she is already talking about recovering illegally-acquired assists in Sadc countries. Madam Matanda-Moyo, charity begins at home. Common criminals are occupying government offices, driving posh cars, building mansions in leafy suburbs, while the anti-graft body is engaging in catch-and-release shows. It is either the teeth that Zacc got have fallen off or the commission is now captured or both.

 Cliff Chiduku is journalist. He writes here in his personal capacity. Feedback: cchiduku@gmail.com

Zimbabwe’s listed companies will start presenting their financial statements using the hyperinflationary economies standard (IAS) following approval by the Public Accountants Board (PAAB).

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

According to a circular by the accountants’ apex board, usage of the new reporting model covers financial periods ended on or after July 1, 2019.

“The PAAB can advise that there is broad market consensus within the accounting and auditing professions that the factors and characteristics to apply the Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies Standard (IAS 29), in Zimbabwe have been met,” PAAB said.

Section 44(2)(a) of the Public Accountants and Auditors Act empowers PAAB to make regulations prescribing auditing standards, accounting standards and accountancy reporting standards for use in Zimbabwe, including the application of internationally-recognised auditing, accounting and reporting standards.

PAAB, via its circular, recommended that preparers of financial statements exercise professional judgment in considering the presentation of historical financial information as supplementary information alongside the primary International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) financial statements which would be inflation-adjusted in terms of the requirements of IAS 29.

Where historical financial information is presented alongside IFRS financial statements adjusted for IAS 29, it must be made clear which represents the primary financial statements.

The accounting profession is in a dilemma as to which inflation rate to apply in their reporting after Treasury suspended publication of annualised inflation figures which stood at 176% by end of June.

Simbisa Brands Limited announced in the full-year results ended June 2019 that, it foresees difficulties in complying with the IAS 29 accounting standard in the absence of year-on-year inflation data following the rebasing decision by Treasury.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe chief executive Gloria Zvaravanhu said the institute will run familiarisation workshops this week and provide further guidelines for use by companies.

“We are going to be running workshops on it in Bulawayo and Harare this week. We are working on it (the issue of which inflation rate to use) and will share at the workshops and issue an implementation guideline,” said Zvaravanhu.

The IAS 29 lists factors that indicate an economy is in a hyperinflationary cycle. One of the indicators of hyperinflation arises when cumulative inflation over a three-year period approaches, or is in excess of 100%.

This is not the first time Zimbabwe has adopted hyperinflation reporting standard. In 2008 it resorted to the same before abandoning it after the adoption of the multi-currency system.

Reeling from inflationary pressures, Argentina adopted IAS 29 after the country was deemed hyperinflationary.

MDC Midlands says it is busy mending cracks that emerged ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections within its structures in Shurugwi South district which saw the opposition party losing the parliamentary seat to Zanu PF.

By Brenna Matendere

Divisions rocked the constituency after the seat was allocated to the Welshman Ncube-led MDC in line with the alliance matrix, shutting out a candidate from the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC, Daniel Mabonga, who had earlier been tipped to stand in the polls.

The development saw divisions rocking the party with the entire district leadership led by the late chairman Norman Pfeveni, backing Mabonga, while Osherd Mutunami, the official candidate campaigned without support of local party leaders. Both lost the poll to Zanu PF candidate, Edmund Mkaratigwa.

In a move meant to heal the rift, MDC Midlands chairperson Josiah Makombe led a delegation of provincial leaders in reaching out to the district leadership over the weekend, where they held a district assembly meeting at Chachacha Business Centre on Saturday.

“What happened ahead of the 2018 elections will not be repeated again. A candidate who is the people’s favourite should be allowed to stand for the party in elections,” Makombe said.

“As the provincial leadership, we have written to the national executive requesting that Mabonga, who was the favourite of the people be pardoned on his actions of standing as an independent candidate. We wait to hear a response from the top, but our feeling is that he must come back into the fold.”

The gap-filling exercise to replace the late MDC Shurugwi South district chairperson, Pfeveni, had to be deferred after the party structures requested that the case of Mabonga be completed first so that he is allowed to contest for the post.

Shurugwi South MDC organising secretary Usefu Nheredzi told Southern Eye that party structures and grassroots supporters had been pacified by the resolutions of the Saturday meeting.

“What the people want is fairness. We had a person who had helped the MDC grow through donating a truck, regalia, conducting projects for the poor and building offices for the MDC in Shurugwi South being disallowed to stand for the party last year. We then had a new person unknown to us being seconded as a candidate. This created deep fissures, but we are all happy after a frank district assembly meeting held at the weekend,” he said.

Acting Shurugwi South MDC district chairperson Todd Zvidza, pointed out that MDC’s defeat in last year’s parliamentary elections could have been avoided if there were no double candidates, adding that a delegation of party leaders that included chiefs had been sent to Harvest House ahead of last year’s election to pass that message, which was, however, dismissed .

Mabonga said: “Since 2008, I have not stopped working for the people. My trucks are carrying DDF workers to wards to repair boreholes and help improve livelihoods. I am not concerned with positions, but seeing prosperity of our rural folk. People in towns have their roots in rural areas and my wish is that they come back and help develop our area. Our late district chairman Pfeveni was a hardworking person and as MDC people we are pursuing his vision.”

Zimbabwe expects to increase diamond production to 11 million carats by 2023 from 3,2 million carats last year, the Mines minister Winston Chitando said yesterday, part of an ambitious plan to raise mining output and earn the country $12 billion a year.

Reuters

The mineral-rich southern African nation sees the mining sector as the main driver for reviving an economy crippled by triple-digit inflation and high unemployment.

Still, many investors fret about whether they can take money out because of acute dollar shortages.

Zimbabwe’s government has previously set ambitious targets on mining production, but output has rarely met those goals because investors often cite archaic investment regulations and uncertainty over the safety of their investment.

Under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe is “open for business” mantra, the government has promised more favourable terms for those investing in the country, but big investors are still staying away for now.

Chitando said production by four companies – including Alrosa and Chinese-owned Anjin – would help drive up diamond output, mostly from the eastern Chiadzwa area.

Anjin plans to restart mining after being kicked out from Chiadzwa for refusing to merge with the State diamond firm in 2016, while Alrosa has plans to start prospecting and mining diamonds in the area.

United Kingdom-listed Vast Resources is expected to sign a deal this week to search for diamonds.

Chitando also said gold, the single biggest mineral export, would generate $4 billion in four years time while platinum would bring in another $3 billion as a raft of projects come on stream.

Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum Holdings have platinum mines in Zimbabwe.

Karo Resources, partly owned by South Africa’s Tharisa Holdings, is building an integrated platinum mine and refinery while a Russian consortium and Zimbabwean investors are developing a platinum project near Harare.

IT began with the ouster of the late former President Robert Mugabe, who many identified as a liberator-turned despot. At the height of his rule, and in the twilight of his reign, a common factor endured, namely repression. This repression colloquially began to be termed “Mugabeism”.

This term encapsulates the principle where a leader brooks no dissent; it is the capture of all national institutions to serve the purpose of the leader. Further, the most defining element of “Mugabeism” was the use of terror and brutal tactics on anyone with antagonistic views. The phrase is simply an amalgamation of everything that contrasts democracy.

In short, under “Mugabeism”, either one agrees with the leader or they risk death, incapacitation or injury. Mugabe’s agonising rule endured for decades with a seemingly hapless Zimbabwean population resigning to its fate until November 2017. To some, it came so fast that they did not recognise that what they were witnessing was just a manifestation of deep-seated skirmishes that had rankled on for a long time.

At the time Mugabe was ousted from power, the topmost thing on the mind of Zimbabweans was that nothing could be worse than what they were enduring. Life could not possibly get any worse and, therefore, Zimbabweans needed little persuasion to march against Mugabe. He was the epitome of their suffering. He represented and was the personification of anguish. For women whose husbands had gone into diaspora oblivion, the man was the architect. For the unemployed graduate, who had endured eight or more years of redundancy, again, Mugabe was the engineer of his/her ills. It did not take a rocket scientist to realise that anyone who promised or could depose Mugabe would turn into an instant hero. This rings true for Morgan Tsvangirai. He may not necessarily have been the right choice of candidate for some Zimbabweans, but it was apparent that, for decades on end, even his would-be critics threw their weight behind him as it was palpable that Mugabe was the common adversary who had dragged the country into the mud and had to be eradicated.

It was, therefore, no wonder that after Mugabe had been adroitly toppled from power, no one in their wildest imaginations had envisaged Zimbabwe collapsing further. It was as if Zimbabwe had hit the proverbial rock bottom under Mugabe; the only way was up, but unfortunately not so. It is just about two years after Mugabe was unseated, but the current state of Zimbabwe is inexplicable. Those who died in the month that Mugabe was forced from power would immediately die again from shock of the topsy-turvy state of affairs if they were to resurrect today. The economic collapse and decay is unprecedented. Even during Mugabe’s era of economic ruin before the Government of National Unity, the most potent force that brought an economic paralysis was hyperinflation. Hyperinflation made the world call Zimbabwe a failed State, with virtually empty shops and a depressed education system, coupled with a comatose health delivery system.

It is against this background that the current state of affairs in Zimbabwe has crept towards a tipping point. Hyperinflation has returned, and with a vengeance this time around.

Things have fallen apart; the centre cannot hold. It appears like no one has the power to extinguish the raging economic fire. During Mugabe’s era, the old man would at least howl and scare the business community. He would try method X and method Y, although failure remained the hallmark of his rule. The current state of things makes one cringe with fear. There is no one, absolutely no one, to stand with and defend the people who have had to endure all forms of suffering.

In my own assessment, this economic malaise has come to that point we witnessed in 2009. Zimbabwe can only move on with a transitional authority. It is a lie that politics can help alleviate this economic crisis. Zanu PF can no longer go it alone. Meanwhile, the MDC is not even in power to talk of. Something has got to give. Politics has much to do with swaying the emotions of the people, but what is urgently required now transcends that. Zimbabwe needs salvation in real terms.

The debate that can take place now is one pertaining to the composition of the transitional authority. It is not and should not be debated which country the current government can engage. It should be a debate on how to unite as a country and achieve economic stability. Anyone who forces the current situation to go on, cannot be for the suffering Zimbabweans.

In my view, everything being equal, a transitional authority that largely excludes politicians would be ideal. I maintain that such a situation would be the most ideal. Elections should possibly occur under the transitional mechanism, which should itself hand over power to a new government that wins a credible election after about five years.

 Learnmore Zuze is a legal officer and writes here in his personal capacity.

THE Ministry of Finance yesterday told Parliament that government had not yet made a decision on whether civil servants will be paid bonuses this year as they needed to consult workers’ representatives first.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

This was disclosed by Finance ministry officials when they appeared before the Felix Mhona-chaired Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget and Finance to speak on their ministry’s 2020 budget bids.

The issue of bonuses arose when director of finance in the Finance Ministry, Ignatius Mvere told Parliament that Finance minister Mthuli Ncube would approach Parliament seeking condonation after the ministry was allocated $12,5 million for unallocated reserves, but the ministry spent $1,3 billion instead.

“Our original budget for unallocated reserves (2019) was $12 571 000, but on August 1, 2019, Ncube presented a supplementary budget of $580 million, but as at the end of August — out of that $580 million the ministry had transferred $1,3 billion which means that we overspent by $778 million and I want to believe that this amount will be regularised before the end of the year,” Mvere said.

This did not augur well with MPs who then asked him to explain how the $778 million spent without parliamentary approval.

Acting secretary of the Ministry of Finance Pfungwa Kunaka told MPs that the unauthorised expenditure of $778 million was spent on salaries of civil servants which kept increasing due to inflation.

Chitungwiza North MP Godfrey Sithole then asked him to explain if the changes in the wage bill also meant that civil servants were going to get their bonuses.

“We are operating under austerity measures and what are your plans on civil servants bonuses?” asked Sithole.

The response came from another Ministry of Finance official Hazvineyi Churu who said government did not have a clear position as yet on civil servants bonuses, a month before they are due.
This is despite Ncube in August promising to pay in full the bonuses in November, claiming government had recorded a budgetary surplus.

The MPs then grilled the Ministry of Finance officials over claims that there was a budget surplus in 2019 when Zimbabweans were reeling in poverty.
The legislators also queried the Ministry of Finance’s budget projections saying they did not make sense, and that if the ministry was not careful they will end up bringing a Zimbabwe dollar budget to Parliament which will be eroded by inflation in three months, forcing the ministry to bring a supplementary budget.
Mhona said actually inflation was around 1 200%, stating that for ordinary Zimbabweans the budget surplus claimed by the Ministry of Finance did not make sense if bread which used to cost $0,90 cents now costs $15 a loaf.
Bulawayo Central MP Nicola Watson added: “How do you even claim that you will stabilise the economy with electricity costs that have gone up by 588%? You are claiming that your revenue is going up, yet ordinary citizens are staring at starvation and bread has gone up to $15 and transport and electricity costs keep rising.”
Mvere then told the committee that for 2020, the Ministry of Finance wants an allocation of $3,8 billion, but Treasury had only promised to allocate them $655 million.

THE need to increase Zimbabwe’s exports will come under the spotlight when government, local exporters, industry players, academia and researchers among others meet in Bulawayo on Thursday for the ZimTrade annual exporters’ conference.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

The conference, taking place under the theme, Rethink, Reform, Export is set to discuss best approaches aimed at addressing challenges faced by local businesses.

The conference will also bring together local exporters and buyers from other countries to share ideas that will boost exports of local industries.

From issues raised during the annual exporters’ conference, key outcomes that are industry-driven will be produced.

These resolutions will inform engagement activities that ZimTrade will use to facilitate on improving Zimbabwe’s export capacity and the ease of doing export business.

“In line with the devolution drive by the government of Zimbabwe, this is the first time the conference is being held out of Harare and given the status that Bulawayo has as an industrial hub and the declaration of the city as a Special Economic Zone,” ZimTrade said.

”The conference aims to foster dialogue and linkages between delegates and business leaders from different sectors who will come together to come up with solutions that will improve Zimbabwe’s trade balance,” it said.

The conference comes at a time major foreign currency earners such as gold, tobacco, nickel mattes and ferrochromium recorded a drop between February and August this year.

For instance, tobacco dropped by 26% to US$207 million, chromium ores and concentrates by 56%, gold 27%, ferrochromium by 17% and nickel mattes by 32% to US$234 million.
Only nickel ores and diamonds recorded an increase.

It also comes at a time when the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries has projected that manufacturing sector capacity utilisation will drop to about 30% this year from 48% in 2018 due to negative macro-economic factors.

The conference will be followed by an awards gala dinner on Friday to recognise Zimbabwe’s leading exporters in a range of categories.

Among the international speakers is Ashraf Mahate, a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based trade and export market development expert.

“The information shared by the speakers will inform decisions on how Zimbabwean products can successfully penetrate and compete in international markets as well as best approaches to addressing current production challenges,” ZimTrade said.

To expose local exporters to opportunities in international markets, the exporters’ conference will be followed by a buyer-seller meeting scheduled for Friday.

Export opportunities and entry requirements from different markets of the world will be presented by buyers from Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Mozambique, UAE and the United Kingdom.

ZIMBABWE’S trade deficit narrowed by 63% to US$644 million between February and August this year compared to the same period last year, due to shortages of foreign currency for imports.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

Figures released by the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZimStat) show that between February and August, the country imported goods and services worth US$2,79 billion against exports of US$2,15 billion.

Trade figures for January 2018 are still not available because the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, which is the source of merchandise trade data, has not produced them, according to ZimStat.

In the same period last year, imports stood at US$4,13 billion and exports at US$2,41 billion, giving a trade deficit of US$1,73 billion.

Exports dropped by 11% on the prior year figures, while imports fell by 32%.

Analysts have attributed the decline in the import bill to foreign currency shortages as well as a drop in the budget deficit.

In the period under review, all import drivers like electricity, fuel and soyabeans recorded a drop.

For instance, the electricity bill dropped by 70% to US$39 million, diesel by 10% to US$556 million, petrol 21% to US$248 million, while soyabeans fell by 46% to US$45 million.

Major foreign currency earners like gold, tobacco, nickel mattes and ferrochromium also dropped. Only nickel ores and diamond recorded an increase.

In his monetary policy statement released last month, central bank governor John Mangudya attributed import compression to expenditure-switching effects of the introduction of the exchange rate.

“In response to the fiscal and monetary reforms, the country witnessed an improvement in the current account balance during the first half of 2019, due to import compression following the expenditure-switching effects of the introduction of the exchange rate, which has seen consumption moving away from imported products to domestically-produced goods,” he said.

Mangudya said the current account deficit narrowed from a peak of US$2,7 billion in 2011 to US$1,4 billion in 2018 and was projected to further contract to US$597,2 million in 2019.

“This development augurs well with easing of pressures on the foreign currency demand and exchange rate stability,” he said.

SOLUTIONS Motors owner Patrick Siyawamwaya yesterday came under fire in Parliament after his company got a US$518 850 contract from the Department of Irrigation to supply 10 trucks in 2017, but only supplied six, with the other four still outstanding four years later.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Siyawamwaya had appeared before the Tendai Biti-led Public Accounts Committee (Pac) where he was grilled about another US$958 000 tender to supply water bowsers, excavators and compactors in 2017, which were also not delivered to the Department of Irrigation.

Pac suspects that Siyawamwaya is related to Sakunda Holdings boss Kudakwashe Tagwirei, given that his sister is married to the Tagwireis. But Siyawamwaya denied the relationship.
Pac also suspects that Siyawamwaya had inflated the cost of each vehicle.

“If you quote for 10 single cab vehicles and you are paid US$518 000, you are saying that one single cab vehicle costs $51 000, yet this vehicle is only worth US$20 000 and so it means that your prices are double the proper price of the vehicle,” Biti said.

“You were also paid in US dollars because we did not have local currency in December. What it means is that you were ripping off the government,” he said.

Siyawamwaya denied that he was paid in US dollars. He claimed he was paid in RTGS dollars because when he made the application to get the money in foreign currency, he was told that there was no forex in the country.

But MPs said he was misleading the committee because in 2017, the US dollar was at par to the bond note and the RTGS dollar had not yet been introduced.

The committee described Siyawamwaya as a conman who was ripping off government as he had failed to deliver both the outstanding four vehicles, four years later, and had failed to also deliver the farm equipment and yet he had used all the money that the Department of Irrigation had paid to him to supply the items.

“I will deliver everything at our own cost by the first quarter of 2020,” Siyawamwaya said.

Biti responded: “It is wrong for a businessperson to get a contract, take the money and not care about the delivery. That is why our country is like this because we have no respect at all to contracts,” he said.

Siyawamwaya was then ordered to bring all documentary proof on the contracts that he clinched from the Department of Irrigation and proof that the money was not actually paid in US dollar as he claimed.

WARRIORS home-based players selected for the final African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifier against Lesotho at the weekend were expected in camp last night to start preparations for the decisive second leg match away in Maseru.

BY HENRY MHARA

Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela said all the 26 players picked in the provisional squad were expected to have grouped at the Zifa Village in Harare last night and training will commence this morning.

Some players started trooping into camp on Saturday immediately after taking part in their Premier Soccer League matches.

The Warriors edged the Crocodiles 3-1 in the first leg played at the National Sports Stadium last month, through a Prince Dube’s brace and another goal by Wellington Taderera.

Hlompho Kalake converted a late penalty to give Lesotho some hope of overturning the scores in front of their home supporters.

Warriors coach Joey Antipas has largely kept the core of the team that did duty at home when Zimbabwe managed what looks like a comfortable lead going into the second leg, with midfielder Never Tigere the biggest omission on the list.

The FC Platinum player had a below par performance on the day, and that could be the reason why he has been left out.

In comes Ngezi Platinum star midfielder Donald Teguru, who has finally been rewarded for a splendid season he has enjoyed so far at club level.

Kelvin Madzongwe has also been included in the squad and so are Joel Ngodzo and Nomore Chinyerere who were excluded in the previous match because they did not have passports.

Striker Evans Katema, who missed the first leg after picking an injury on the eve of the match, is fit again and included in the current provisional squad.

He will fight for a starting position upfront with man of the moment Dube, who has been banging goals for the Warriors and his club Highlanders in recent weeks.

Dube is the leading goal scorer in the campaign with five goals and will be hoping to add more in the final qualifier and help his nation reach the final tournament set for Cameroon in January next year.

Only players who are playing in their country’s own domestic league are eligible to compete in the Chan tournament.

The Warriors squad is expected to fly out to Maseru on Thursday, ahead of the Sunday match.
Provisional squad

Goalkeepers: Simbarashe Chinani (Dynamos), Ariel Sibanda (Highlanders), Nelson Chadya (Ngezi)
Defenders: Partson Jaure (Manica Diamonds), Peter Muduwa, MacClive Phiri (Highlanders) Frank Mukarati (Ngezi Platinum), Ian Nekati (ZPC Kariba), Xolani Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), Nomore Chinyerere (Hwange)

Midfielders: Kelvin Madzongwe (FC Platinum), Tichaona Chipunza, Valentine Kadonzvo, Sipho Ndlovu (Chicken Inn), Nqobizitha Masuku (Highlanders), Ralph Kawondera (Triangle) Joel Ngodzo, Phenias Bamusi (Caps) Juan Mutudza (Herentals), Donald Teguru (Ngezi Platinum), Leeroy Mavunga (Yadah), Wellington Taderera (Black Rhinos)

Strikers: Prince Dube (Highlanders), Obriel Chirinda (Chicken Inn), Evans Katema (Dynamos)