by VENERANDA LANGA

ZIMBABWE’S number of serving female ambassadors now stands at 32%, an issue which Parliament says should be rectified in order to satisfy the constitutional requirements of 50/50 gender representation.

The issue was raised when Foreign Affairs secretary James Manzou appeared before the Kindness Paradza- led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs to give oral evidence on the 2020 national budget.

“In compliance with provisions of section 17 of the constitution, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will adopt gender responsive budgeting as one of the measures to scale up efforts towards achieving gender equality in the foreign sector,” Manzou said.

“The number of serving female ambassadors currently stands at 32% of the total, affirming the ministry’s call towards gender sensitivity,” he said.
But MPs lambasted the ministry for failing to deploy ambassadors on a 50/50 gender basis.

Paradza then asked Manzou to explain to the committee if amongst the female ambassadors deployed there were female ex combatants appointed as diplomats.
“We heard that since independence we do not have any female ambassadors who were ex combatants,” Paradza said.

“It is a good observation, but may you allow me to verify the issue because I need time to go back and study the lists of female ambassadors since independence,” Manzou replied.

MDC-T legislator Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga then asked him to explain if the 32% of female ambassadors deployed were also given highly-graded foreign missions?
He was also asked to explain if his ministry was experiencing any problems to identify capable females that can be deployed as ambassadors.

Manzou said the criterion of appointing ambassadors is the prerogative of the President.“What happens on appointment of ambassadors is that in terms of the professional service you find that those that rise to the level of ambassador will have started at a lower level in terms of our recruitment policy.

Some ambassadors are Presidential appointees and special representatives. The President knows what needs to be achieved in a particular station and he can appoint a non-career ambassador,” he said.

On vehicles of diplomats which were being said to be in a deplorable state, Manzou said there was a significant improvement after 53 new vehicles were purchased.
“We have to avoid getting into a situation where we were grinding to a halt. Purchases of ambassadors’ vehicles should be a matter of routine, and when a vehicle is three to five years old it should be replaced.”

He said each embassy needs a vehicle for the ambassador plus a utility minibus to ferry visitors.

The Zimbabwean embassies that he said were very busy and needed a good fleet of vehicles include those in New York, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Botswana.

BY SHARON SIBINDI

FIRST LADY Auxillia Mnangagwa last week said she was worried over the low numbers of women politicians in the country.

Addressing female war veterans in Bulawayo on Thursday, Mnangagwa said politics is the only way through which women can find themselves in Parliament and be able to push for issues affecting them.

“In Parliament, women are very few to be influential. Women are very hardworking, they are not a burden, especially you that came from war, nothing is hard for you,” she said.

Section 124 of the Constitution provides for the equal representation of women in Parliament through the appointment of 60 non-constituency legislators.

“My wish is, if it is possible, like all other nations in the world, they (female combatants) have their day of celebrating their freedom fighters, sounding their drums and celebrating to thank them for bringing freedom to the country, so that we show our children that we were there during the war. It is through you female war veterans that we have this freedom. It was through your courage that we see women today in influential positions.

“They are many problems you are facing; there are ministries which will help you to survive. I know they are many things you wish, yes it will happen and very soon you will see the reason why you went to war,” she said.

She said ministries, such as that of Women Affairs, help women in their endeavours while the Ministry of Defence is the war veterans parent ministry to which they can send all their grievances.

Recently, the Midlands chapter of the Women Coalition of Zimbabwe resolved to lobby key stakeholders and government to extend the parliamentary quota system beyond 2023.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

CELEBRATED gospel musician Diva Mafunga — popularly known for his monster track Endai Naizvozvo — has bounced back onto the mainstream music scene after years of a sabbatical with a new album titled Handinete Kumutenda.

The musician, whose rich and melodious music sung in a sonorous drawl, told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that although he had been quiet to the public, a lot of activity was taking place behind the scenes.

Mafunga said he was not a hurried musician, but took his time to deliver new material as he wanted to package it as he would have received it from the divine realm.

“Yes, I might have been quiet for a long time now, but not to God. I’m always releasing songs to him and for him. My fans will only hear what God has approved first. If you listen to this coming album, that’s when you will realise I wasn’t silent and resting,” he said.

A member of the United Families International Church, Mafunga said he has drawn a lot of inspiration from church leader Emmanuel Makandiwa, whose lifestyle and teachings.
Mafunga said his new offering was themed around the need for people to be grateful for the grace that God gives to them.

“Handinete Kumutenda contains strong messages. The album encourages us to be grateful for the abundant grace that the Lord gives us. His mercy endures forever. God is the place to which we run for protection and covering when we are in trouble,” he said.

Songs on the album include Beteri, Handinete Kumutenda, Varume Tinodarirei, Muri Mwari, Huyai Muone and Ndipeiwo Nzeve.Mafunga, who is also inspired by gospel veteran Mechanic Manyeruke, said the guitar was his most important instrument which has birthed all his music.

“I usually create a line first with my acoustic guitar. Hence, I deduce the mood of the line from the progression of the guitar melody. Then I begin to develop it from this stage. I sing about encouragement and teach others spiritually as well as the worship of the true God,” he said.

The musician said he hoped to join forces with other upcoming or renowned local and international artistes, promising fans non-stop releases, “the kind of stuff that will leave people in God’s presence”.

However, like any other artiste, Mafunga bemoaned lack of funds to produce quality music.“Music production comes with challenges as far as funding is concerned. Recording quality music with skilful artistes calls for a great financial sacrifice. You need to be financially deep-rooted to see your productions successfully marketed,” he said.

Editorial

In our NewsDay Weekender edition on Saturday we carried a depressing story of how the country’s major public hospitals have turned into dens of death as helpless patients succumb to their sicknesses in the absence of medical personnel who have been on strike demanding better pay and working conditions.

It is a difficult situation. It is unfortunate that ordinary people have become collateral damage in the standoff between government and the medical personnel. In the meantime, it would be unfair to demand that the doctors and nurses go back to work when their earnings and working conditions have become untenable.

In fact, the problem is even more far-reaching, going beyond the health sector as almost every working person’s earnings have been significantly eroded since the government’s misguided decision to introduce a local currency, whose value has continued to plummet against major currencies.

What is probably sad is that when the government first decided to introduce the bond note, they were warned against the move, but insisted there was sufficient support to hedge the surrogate currency. Sadly, we are back to the horrors of 2008. It would appear our leaders never learnt anything from the mistakes of yesteryear.

Prices of basic commodities and fuel have been sky-rocketing over the past few months. Government has tried to tinker with the economy, and some of their schoolboy interventions — like attempts to ban mobile money transactions and the use of foreign currency — has shown that this government has no solutions to the problem bedevilling the country. If they deal with the economic fundamentals and the political conundrum, there will be no need for “command economics”.

If government deals with the fundamentals, it would be unnecessary to take doctors and nurses to the Labour Court to coax them to return to work. That is not a solution. Their concerns and grievances are genuine and should be addressed. A court order is not going to deliver medication and equipment into dysfunctional public health facilities.

If truth be told, government literally robbed every person who earns money in this country when they introduced the surrogate currency on the fallacy that it was equal in value to the United States dollar, which had brought some stability to the economy since 2009. Now that the market has spat out the bond note, or RTGS, or Zimdollar — or whatever its real name is — justice demands that whatever people are earning should be multiplied at the same rate that the US dollar is fetching on the interbank market. This is because people’s earnings were denominated in US dollars.

Zimbabwe is on the edge of the cliff. There is frustration and desperation all-round, with a lot of uncertainty as citizens offer their labour for a pittance as the local currency continues to lose value. This is simply government failure at its worst.

JOHANNESBURG — Thespian Sello Maake ka Ncube believes he is the perfect candidate to host a new show that connects fathers with their children

Maake ka Ncube hosts Abobaba, which started on Saturday last week on Mzansi Wethu channel at 7.30pm.

The show aims to help find solutions for fathers who may have lost contact with their children due to divorce or being separated from their spouses, among other reasons.

The award-winning performer explains that the show is expected to open dialogue about the importance of fathers being present in their children’s lives.

“There are many families across South Africa who seek to connect or reconnect with their fathers. The show aims to re-establish these bonds and attempt to mend tense family dynamics through mediation,” he said.

Ncube describes it as “the beginning of a healing process, beginning of reconciliation, and the breaking of a cycle”.He says he is a perfect candidate for the show because he has lived the experience the show touches on.

The actor, writer and director grew up with an identity crisis having been raised by his stepfather and only adopted his biological father’s surname later.
Ncube, who has a number of children with different women, has first-hand experience of “baby mama” drama.

“Issues of not having your father around, eats you alone as a child. You can’t even discuss with others,” he said.He says his own experiences made him decide to be present in his children’s lives.

“You look at your friends, they look like their fathers. You look at your siblings, they look like your stepfather. And no, you don’t have anyone looking like you. This is the (reason) which made me decide that I will be present in my children’s lives,” he said.

Ncube explained that hosting the show has taught him a lot.“We became parents because you made a baby, no-one teaches you to be a parent. That is the biggest mistake that we have made socially,” he said.

“I am happy that the show opens the debates and dialogues. I have also noticed that single parenting is glorified, while it has a bad effect on kids. Men need to guard their precious sperms and women must do the same with their eggs.”

— SowetanLIVE

By Kevin Mapasure

Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya returns to Baobab Stadium this afternoon, one year since he was inexplicably dismissed by Ngezi Platinum Stars, where he had a two-and-half-year spell.

Ndiraya had assembled one of the strongest forces at Ngezi, but with the league title having eluded him, the club’s hierarchy axed him in October last year when his team was only five points behind eventual winners FC Platinum with as much matches left for the season.

For the first time, he will be in the away dug out as he attempts to achieve what only one visiting team has managed, by winning at the Baobab.

Only Triangle have managed to beat Ngezi at home so far this season.

Even during Ndiraya’s time, coming out of the Baobab with a single point was such a daunting task, let alone winning all three points for visiting teams.

A few things have changed since he left, with a number of players joining Ngezi, while others have left, but Ndiraya will be looking to use his vast knowledge of the place and the players to land one punch at his former employers.

Before he was sent packing, he had presided over one defeat at home when they lost to FC Platinum.

This week, Ndiraya acknowledged that his team would face a tough task against Ngezi, but remains confident that they can still come away with all the points.

“We still believe that if we get maximum points in our next match, it will improve our position this season. We will go there and put up a good fight and hope to get something out of the match. I know Ngezi Platinum very well, I have been there. It is not an easy thing to go there and come out with maximum points. We have to try the best we can and do the best we can to get positive results, but it’s not going to be an easy match, of course,” he said.

Since Ndiraya left, Ngezi Platinum Stars have regressed and plunged into mid-table mediocrity, sitting just one point behind Dynamos, who are seventh on the league table.

Both teams are not where they would have wanted to be at this stage and Ndiraya will be looking to hand Ngezi their ninth defeat of the season.

DeMbare have been struggling as they are on a five-match draw streak, which they want to end this afternoon.

Their prospects have been boosted by the return of the trio that carries the creative spark in Simba Nhivi, Archford Gutu and Evans Katema.

Katema and Nhivi are both former Ngezi players and the latter left in acrimonious circumstances earlier this year.

Ngezi have already sacked another coach, Erol Akbay, whom they replaced with Rodwell Dhlakama.

Across town, second-placed Chicken Inn have a tough away trip to Harare, where they face fifth-placed Black Rhinos this afternoon, in a match the Joey Antipas-coached side cannot afford to lose if they are to boost their title hopes, with Caps United having opened a five-point gap at the top.

FC Platinum face a resurgent Yadah side at Mandava Stadium, while Highlanders take on TelOne, who have also improved under Rahman Gumbo.

Fixtures

Today: FC Platinum v Yadah (Mandava), Manica Diamonds v Kariba (Vengere), Ngezi Platinum Stars v
Dynamos (Baobab), Highlanders v TelOne (Barbourfields), Harare City v Mushowani (Rufaro), Black Rhinos v Chicken Inn (NSS).

Tomorrow: Caps United v Hwange (NSS), Bulawayo Chiefs v Triangle, Chapungu v Herentals (Ascot)

BY CHARLES LAITON

PROSECUTOR-GENERAL (PG) Kumbirai Hodzi has petitioned the High Court on an urgent basis seeking an order to bar self-exiled former Cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere from accessing title deeds for his Mutare property which was forfeited to the State before the High Court quashed the ruling.

Kasukuwere was last year arrested and charged with criminal abuse of office, but when he took the matter to the High Court for review, Justice Tawanda Chitapi quashed all the charges saying there was no evidence suggesting that the former Zanu PF political commissar committed any criminal offence during his tenure in government service.

Early this week, the High Court again issued another order releasing Kasukuwere’s forfeited title deeds to a property on Lot 4 of Subdivision D Manchester in Mutare district, registered under 8010/2003, which had been held as surety when he was granted bail.

But according to prosecutor Zivanai Macharaga of the President’s Office Special Anti-Corruption Unit, the order for the release of the title deeds was issued at a time when Hodzi had petitioned the Supreme Court against Justice Chitapi’s ruling and the matter is still pending under case number SC550/19.

In his founding affidavit, the PG said he feared that Kasukuwere would dispose of his property once the title deeds are released to him, leaving the State with no other recourse in case it wins the Supreme Court challenge.

“Kasukuwere has shown that he is ready to deal with the property and may possibly dispose of it. I seek an urgent intervention of the court to interdict Kasukuwere from dealing with the property or disposing of it pending the resolution of the dispute under SC550/19,” Hodzi said.

The PG’s submission was also supported by Tafadzwanashe Mupariwa from the National Prosecuting Authority, who insisted that it was clear that the former minister intended to sell his Mutare property once released back to him.

“Kasukuwere has acted in a manner which shows that it is his intention to deal with the property in a manner that will prejudice the interests of the applicant (PG) and the due administration of justice,” Mupariwa said.

“Should the application not be dealt with now, the applicant may not be able to have recourse to the property as it will be difficult for him to retain the property as recognisance in the event that he succeeds in his appeal under SC550/19.”

The matter is pending.

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

THE Zanu PF Matabeleland South youth league has suspended its chairperson Washington Nkomo on charges of indiscipline, fanning factionalism and abuse of office, among others.

The youth league’s disciplinary committee met on Thursday in Gwanda, where they passed a vote of no-confidence on Nkomo.

But Nkomo yesterday dismissed his alleged suspension as null and void.

“As far as I know, I am still the Matabeleland South youth league chairperson. I have not been briefed on that, so as it is, it’s just but rumours,” he said.

Zanu PF national secretary for administration Obert Mpofu said he was unaware of Nkomo’s suspension.

“It’s the first time I am hearing it from you,” Mpofu said.

However, the youth league’s disciplinary committee — in its position paper — said it could no longer work with the Nkomo because he was allegedly destabilising the ruling party.

“The youth league Matabeleland South provincial disciplinary committee has on October 10, 2019, sat to discuss allegations of indiscipline, corruption, misuse or abuse of authority without executive consultation and misuse of resources acquired through the party and the wing by Nkomo,” the position paper read in part.

The youths said the decision to boot out Nkomo took long as they feared being labelled G40 activists – a Zanu PF faction that was angling to take over after the late former President Robert Mugabe.

A number of G40 leaders such as Saviour Kasukuwere, Jonathan Moyo, Mandiitawepi Chimene and Patrick Zhuwao, among others, are in exile fleeing alleged persecution.

“The chairman has caused despondency within the party structures by firing and appointing youth executive members. All along, provincial members of Matabeleland South have been fearing to stand against manipulation by the chairman in fear of being demoted to lower positions and labelled G40,” the disciplinary committee said.

“He overrides Matabeleland South youth league and commands the executive members to be loyal to himself instead of the party and President. He has addressed Press conferences without the knowledge of his executive on behalf of Matabeleland South youth league purporting to be resolutions agreed by the provincial executive.”

Port ELIZABETH — Norman Mapeza says his main priority is to turn around the flagging fortunes of Chippa United and save the Port Elizabeth-based club from relegation.

As things stand‚ after eight Absa Premiership matches‚ the Chilli Boyz remain the only team yet to taste the sweetness of a victory.

Rock bottom of the log with four points from as many draws and defeats‚ Chippa are destined for the chop if they don’t arrest their downward spiral.

“The club is in a difficult position, so the best plan is to make sure we survive relegation.
That is the main priority‚” Mapeza told TimesLIVE from Port Elizabeth.

He will take charge of his first match in the Telkom Knockout first round on the weekend of October 19 to 22 at home against Bloemfontein Celtic‚ but the Zimbabwean has already made it clear that his first prize is surviving relegation in the league.

His first PSL assignment will be an away trip to Tembisa on Gauteng’s East Rand to face Highlands Park on October 26.

“Look at the moment where the club is positioned. What do you expect from me? If they (Chippa chairman Mpengesi) had told me that they want to win the league at the end of the season, I would say ‘look‚ it can never happen’‚” said Mapeza‚ who spent five years with FC Platinum in Zimbabwe and guided them to back-to-back title wins in 2017 and 2018.

The former Zimbabwe midfield and defensive star and national coach said he was confident he could get the Chilli Boys’ campaign back on track.

“I also took over a club back home in Zimbabwe which was at the bottom of the table, but we managed to survive relegation. So Chippa offers another a new opportunity in a new environment.”

Mapeza saved Monomotapa United from relegation in 2007 and went on to win the Zimbabwe league the following season with the same team.

“For me, the Chippa job is a challenge that I wanted to experience‚” said Mapeza‚ who replaced Clinton Larsen — followed for a combined three matches by caretaker bosses Duran Francis and Mbuyiselo Sambo — as head coach on October 1 and inherits a team low on confidence.

Mapeza‚ Chippa’s 20th different coach in eight years‚ sees the move to join the club as his growth path.

“You know as coaches and as footballers we will always look to go somewhere. I was a footballer before and my wish was to go and play my football in Europe‚” he said.

“If you look at good coaches‚ for you to grow you need opportunities like this.

“I will give you an example. If (Mamelodi Sundowns coach) Pitso Mosimane goes today and gets an offer to go and coach Aston Villa‚ I don’t think he will say no because it is a new challenge for him and that is what he wishes for as a coach. As coaches our wish is to grow,” Mapeza said. — TimesLIVE