BY VENERANDA LANGA

OPPOSITION MP Willias Madzimure yesterday demanded that Home Affairs minister Cain Mathema or his deputy, Mike Madiro, issue a ministerial statement on the progress by the police in locating the whereabouts of missing journalist-cum-activist Itai Dzamara.

For years, the Home Affairs ministry has been promising to bring regular reports in the House on progress in finding the missing human rights activist, but that has not been
happening.

Madzimure said it would be better for the police to put closure to Dzamara’s case to end the emotional suffering by his wife, Shefra and
family.

“It is more than five years since Dzamara disappeared and the Home Affairs ministry promised to give an update on his whereabouts,” he said.

“We have provisions in our statutes that deal with missing persons and it is high time that the Home Affairs minister comes to this House to give a report on the investigations done so
far.

“If there is need to declare Dzamara dead, then do that so that the family can have closure.”

Madzimure said the country’s Constitution stipulates that every person has a right to life and so Dzamara’s case must come to a conclusion.

Meanwhile in the Senate, Chiefs Council president Chief Fortune Charumbira, asked Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi to explain government policy on fake Twitter and other social
media accounts.

Charumbira said he was a victim of a fake post of a pseudo-personality pretending to be him on Twitter who blasted President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government for people’s suffering.

Mutodi said several other top government officials, including Mnangagwa, Vice-Presidents and top army officials, had been victims of fake social media accounts.

“It is not only happening in Zimbabwe. In the United States, 11% of social media accounts are fake and some have been used for fraudulent criminal activities. In Zimbabwe, we face a
serious situation of these fake accounts because popular individuals like the Head of State and Government, the army, the Central Intelligence Organisation or chiefs are used to
peddle lies through those fake accounts as if they have said something,” Mutodi said.

He said the Cyber-Crime Bill being crafted would deal with the issue of people creating fake accounts and defaming others by posting nude pictures.

However, Mutodi said it would be difficult to prosecute because the Constitution provided for freedom of information.

He said some of the people creating fake social media accounts were domiciled in foreign countries.

In an unrelated matter, Parliament yesterday also produced a statement saying they were a victim of a fake social media post, where claims were being made that the institution had
bought diesel coupons at Redan at an inflated cost of ZWL$10,50, which is way above statutory limits.

Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono had brought the matter to the attention of Parliament demanding answers.

By Everson Mushava

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday came to the rescue of his rival MDC-T president Thokozani Khupe and Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda after they were booed by party supporters at the send-off funeral service for the late Glen View South MP Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java in Harare yesterday.

Vimbai, who on Monday succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident outside Kwekwe on May 14, was buried at the Glen Forest Cemetery in the capital.

Her body was taken to City Sports Centre before being taken for burial where thousands came to bid farewell to the daughter of the late founding MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai.

Khupe, a former Tsvangirai deputy, was first booed when she stepped into the City Sports Centre and later when her presence was recognised, while Mudenda’s
crime was to mention President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s name in his eulogies.

Mudenda was forced to quietly stand behind the microphone for close to five minutes amid booing, forcing Chamisa to step up to manage the situation before he
continued with his candid speech, which was later appreciated by the opposition supporters.

Chamisa gave the party supporters some tongue-lashing, saying if they indeed, believe he was their leader, they should stop heckling Khupe and Mudenda at a
funeral.

The youthful leader described Vimbai as an all-inclusive person and urged the party supporters to honour her by embracing anyone who had come to grieve with
them.

“I am not happy with what you did to Advocate Mudenda and Dr Khupe. I don’t want to hear anything like that again,” Chamisa said.

“Vimbai was an inclusive person and we expect you to do the same. This is a funeral. Dr Khupe worked for the country and the party with Tsvangirai and Vimbai.”

Chamisa then chided the party supporters for failing to respect the institution of Parliament, which was represented by Mudenda, before assuring the Speaker of
peace and freedom to say whatever he wanted to say.

“Honourable Sir, you have the peace of the place, the freedom of the environment, to utter what you may wish, including repeating the name of President Mnangagwa, who is the president of Zanu PF,” Chamisa said to wild cheers.

Khupe and Chamisa acrimoniously parted ways last year following a dispute on who should take over after the death of Tsvangirai.

Tsvangirai’s deputy of 10 years was forced to go it alone during last year’s elections, where Chamisa narrowly lost to Mnangagwa.

Chamisa has, however, refused to accept the outcome that was endorsed by the Constitutional Court, demanding dialogue, which he insists should be anchored on
the country’s legitimacy question, a demand flatly rejected by Zanu PF.

Mudenda, Chamisa said, was a unifier who believed in Zimbabwe. He said a country is run by accommodating divergent views.

“With Dr Khupe, we had our problems, but she is our comrade, I honour you, Dr Khupe. We should learn to acknowledge and respect others. We still have the
Speaker of Parliament we should respect, we still have the generals in the army we should respect. If you fail to respect others when you are still in
opposition, when you take over government, there will be gnashing of teeth,” the MDC leader said.

“We need tolerance. Dr Khupe, once more I salute you. You were my deputy Prime Minster when I was a minister. You were a vice-president when I was organising
secretary. There might be some problems, but that won’t change. I have always said we will meet, and we have met today at Vimbai’s funeral.”

In his address, Mudenda described Vimbai as a humble person, a selfless leader who emulated his father’s leadership attributes, who accepted to join the
inclusive government for the benefit of the people and helped stabilise things during the five years he was in government.

He also called for unity for the country to move forward and urged all people to copy from Tsvangirai whose leadership was not self-centred.

By Everson Mushava

The late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s brother-in-law yesterday challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa to dialogue and come up with an inclusive government that will address the country’s economic challenges, decrying the deplorable state Zimbabweans are living in.

Isaac Mhundwa, brother to Tsvangirai’s wife, the late Susan, said: “My sister died in an accident on her way to celebrate the inclusive government that later stabilised the economy for the betterment of people’s lives. My niece died in an accident as well and I hope this challenges the political leaders to negotiate and come up with another inclusive government.”

Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java, the eldest daughter of Morgan and Susan, succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident she was involved in outside Kwekwe on May 14.

Mhundwa’s remarks came after Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda was booed by MDC supporters at the mention of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s name.

Mhundwa said the heckling was because people were hungry and urged the political leaders in the country to consider talks and come up with a unity government that would stabilise the economy and make life better for ordinary Zimbabweans.

“The reason people booed Advocate Mudenda is that they are hungry. They are struggling to survive. Things are not looking good. In fact, it is frustrating. If they earn their salaries
today, tomorrow it will be nothing. Things cannot continue like that. Advocate Mudenda, can you go and tell the President that the people are not happy with the status quo,” Mhundwa
said.

“The challenge is now on you (Mudenda and Chamisa). We would be happy to hear that people are talking at the top. People have suffered.”

Tsvangirai’s first son, Edwin, made similar calls at his father’s memorial in Buhera last month, but was booed by MDC supporters.

Chamisa on Wednesday said he wanted genuine dialogue with Mnangagwa that should address the legitimacy crisis the country is facing.

He, however, said the dialogue was not aimed at coming up with a power-sharing deal, but to resolve the country’s economy.

Mnangagwa has rejected any demand to discuss last year’s election, which he says he won, and has opened up talks with fringe presidential candidates in last year’s polls, which were
snubbed by Chamisa and other leaders.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

The trial of former City of Harare commission chairpersons Sekesai Makwavarara, Michael Mahachi and former town clerk Tendai Mahachi, who are facing charges of awarding Augur Investment Company a contract without due process, failed to kick off yesterday after the special prosecutor failed to turn up.

Makwavarara (61), Michael and Tendai Mahachi appeared before magistrate Hosea Mujaya and the matter was postponed to July 11 for trial.

The matter is being handled by Zivanai Macharaga of the anti-corruption special prosecution unit in the office of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Allegations are that sometime in 2007, City of Harare planned to construct and upgrade Airport Road and on June 22, 2007, Makwavarara, acting in common purpose with Tendayi and Michael
Mahachi, who are already in remand in connection with this matter, caused City of Harare to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MoU)) with Augur Investments without council resolution
and without following tender procedures.

It is alleged that Makwavarara and his accomplices signed the MoU representing the City of Harare, while Augur was represented by Olexander Sheremet. The MOU was signed by Makwavarara
in connivance with her accomplice and Tendai Mahachi representing council.

The State avers that on September 4, 2007, Makwavarara and her accomplices entered into a shareholders agreement and MoU on May 21 2008 with Augur Investments, a foreign based company
purportedly based in Ukraine. The agreements were for the construction and upgrading of Airport Road at a cost of $80 million.

According to the agreements, Augur Investments was to fund and provide the expertise for the project with the City of Harare ceding pieces of land to the company. The project was
allegedly divided into four phases and was to be completed in 2010.

The shareholders agreed that the title deeds of the land were to be held in trust by Messrs Coghlan Welsh and Guest, pending transfer upon completion and certification of work done.

Makwavarara acting in cahoots with her accomplices hatched a plan to violate the provisions of the law and engaged Augur Investments, a company which was not registered in Zimbabwe
under the Companies Act and under the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (Zia) at the time of the agreement.

The company was later registered in 2010 after the lifespan of the alleged contract had expired. The engagement of Augur Investments by the accuse persons was a violation of the Urban Councils Act.

By Simbarashe Sithole

THERE was mayhem at Agribank Mvurwi and Voedesel Tobacco Company on Wednesday afternoon after tobacco farmers failed to access their hard-earned money supposedly transferred into their bank accounts by the tobacco firm.

Scores of farmers started singing revolutionary songs at Agribank as they marched towards the Voedsel Company offices, where they were baying for the management’s blood and the managers had to lock themselves inside the premises.

Efforts to contact Voedsel management proved futile.

Some of the farmers hurled insults at the management, while others kept on singing and dancing to revolutionary songs.

“We are saddened with the treatment we are getting here at Voedsel. Since we brought our bales last month-end, our money has not reflected at Agribank,” one
farmer fumed.

“Many of us are living with HIV and Aids and to take our medication we need food, so how do we get the food if we are not paid, this is disgusting.”

Agribank officials followed the farmers to Voedsel in a bid to quell the situation, but had to run for their dear lives after the farmers threatened to destroy
their vehicle.

The bank manager, Cosmas Masawo, could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone was switched off until the time of going to print.

Voedsel Tobacco is a wholly indigenous company licensed by the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board as a Class “A” buyer.

Their licence permits the company to buy tobacco at the auction floors in Zimbabwe for the export market.

The firm started operating in Mvurwi this season and farmers flocked to join it.

EDITORIAL

EVER since former President Robert Mugabe was driven out of State House via a military coup in November 2017, there has been a general assumption that the “new dispensation” represented a new way of doing things; a new way anchored on transparency and due diligence in both government and the private sector as informed by the mantra “Zimbabwe is open for business”.

It is, however, disconcerting when our system of doing business seems to be still steeped in the old Mugabe-era when the country was largely closed for business.

Our major source of worry is the appointment of former Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa as the substantive board chairperson of struggling national airliner, Air Zimbabwe (AirZim).

We have no problem with President Emmerson Mnangagwa, here and there, giving jobs to some of his boys, as long as this is done transparently and above board in line with the earlier expressed commitment to doing things differently.

Murmurs that Chinamasa’s appointment did not follow due process of law, rendering it immaterial worries us, more-so when we hear that Chinamasa and his board are presently irrelevant, given that AirZim is currently under reconstruction. Reconstruction, at law, typically refers to the transfer of a company’s (or several companies’) business to a new company. For this to happen, the old company is put into liquidation, with shareholders agreeing to take shares of equivalent value in the new company.

So, is Chinamasa chairman of the old AirZim or the new airline which is being constructed, and which we are yet to know about? Why is government in such as hurry to appoint a chairman for a board of a company which is, literally, still a foetus? Why is the national airline being reconstructed in the first place? These are just a few of many questions that Zimbabweans want answered, especially given that not in so distant past, there was another airline which had been birthed, Zimbabwe Airways, but it disappeared from the radar under a cloud of controversy.

We implore Mnangagwa’s administration to, for once, just do the right thing from the word go. We also hope that in his tenure as President, Mnangagwa will separate government business from his party because for a country boasting to be open for business, there should never be overt political meddling in government business as is the case now.

Chinamasa’s appointment was first announced at the ruling party’s politburo meeting. Being leader of the ruling party does not mean Mnangagwa has to allow his party to brazenly poke its nose in government business in such an obvious manner. Mnangagwa has to learn to be more astute than this and it will never dilute the act that he is the ruling party and government leader.

By Duduzile Ndlukulwani

The Ministry of Justice inter-ministerial taskforce yesterday revealed that the legislative framework dealing with child offenders is vague and unsatisfactory.

Speaking at the two-day southern stakeholder consultative workshop on the drafting of the Child Justice Bill in Bulawayo yesterday, Professor Geoff Feltoe said the new Bill was advocating for a new system which will be consistent with the constitutional provisions on the rights and protection of children.

He said the legislative framework seeks align with other legal international instruments, thereby establishing a distinct criminal justice system for child offenders.

“The courts trying cases of child offenders should be able to apply less formal and more inquisitorial processes and must be able to provide sentences which are more geared toward rehabilitation and restorative justice,” Feltoe said.

“The new Bill advocates that the imprisonment of children must be the last resort and if imprisonment is unavoidable, it should be the shortest period.”

Feltoe also spoke on the need for detailed procedures to ensure that all child offenders get legal representation.

The current Child Justice Bill as discussed during the workshop has loopholes which include giving leeway to the absence of a probation officer, mixing children with adults due to lack of pre-trial diversion in other provinces, thereby jeopardising the provisions of the Children’s Act.

The operation of the Child Justice Bill, 2019 will commence on a date fixed by the President by proclamation in the Government Gazette.

NOTTINGHAM — Nottingham Forest defender Tendayi Darikwa (pictured) is hopeful that the club’s supporters will be backing him and Zimbabwe over the next few weeks.

The 27-year-old is representing his country at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

The tournament gets underway in Egypt on the 21 June, with the final taking place four weeks later on 19 July. This means that the right-back could potentially
miss the majority of pre-season.

It isn’t an ideal situation for Martin O’Neill to contend with ahead of the 2019/20 Championship campaign. However, it presents a good a opportunity for the
right-back to test himself against some of the world’s best.

The Reds are travelling to Spain for a pre-season training camp on the 30 June, as confirmed by the club’s official site earlier this week. They will be
staying in Alicante for a week-long trip which involves friendly matches against Dundee and Peterborough United.

Darikwa won’t be travelling with the rest of the squad, even if Zimbabwe get knocked out at the earliest opportunity. This means that he is likely to miss out
on the usual team bonding that takes place over pre-season.

Not only this, but he’s currently the only right-back on the club’s books. This could mean that O’Neill has to draft in some youngsters in order to fill that
position during pre-season.

This is the first opportunity that Darikwa has had to represent Zimbabwe in a major international tournament. It was an opportunity he was never going to turn
down at the stage he’s at in his career.

He is hopeful that those back at the City Ground will be keeping an eye on his country’s progress in the tournament.

He told the club’s official site: “My club has been really supportive of me since I arrived in camp. I am sure everyone back in Nottingham is fully supporting
Zimbabwe to do well in this tournament.

“This is a big opportunity for me personally to show my club and show everyone that I can do well on this stage against some of the best players in the world.”

seatpitch

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

ZAPU has urged its supporters and Gukurahundi victims to attend hearings on national healing to share accounts of the 1980s mass killings to ensure the “truth is not hidden”.

The opposition party said this was of paramount importance as its military wing, the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) ex-combatants, were primary targets of government-sanctioned killings.

The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has been holding nationwide hearings on past disturbances to find closure on the nation’s battered
human rights record.

“The presidency urges the people of the Midlands and the Matabeleland regions to attend meetings organised by the NPRC on the Gukurahundi genocide. Zapu was
the physical and the political target of the Fifth Brigade,” Zapu presidential spokesperson Mkhululi Zulu said yesterday.

“Zapu members must go and tell the truth as it happened. The attempts to hide the truth are evident … It is, therefore, those who saw it as it occurred who
must attend the meetings and give the accurate accounts.”

This call comes after Zapu established a committee on Gukurahundi to address issues specific to the opposition party because it was a “direct political and
physical target” of the Fifth Brigade incursions.

The committee is chaired by legal secretary Themba Hwalima. Other committee members are Zulu, Roma Nyathi, Strike Mkandla, Mark Mbayiwa, Vivian Ncube, Ruth
Ncube and Iphithule Maphosa.

Recently, Zapu national liaison officer Ruth Memeza Ncube said the consultative meetings were nothing, but a waste of money and time.
“Gukurahundi did not happen in the hotels where we are seated today. It happened in the rural areas, and [NPRC chairperson Selo] Nare, I will tell you that
these meetings we are doing here are not going to yield any results. It is a waste of time and resources because this [Gukurahundi issue] is a spiritual
warfare,” she said.

Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa said the party was a primary target of Gukurahundi and whenever there are meetings called to discuss the issue, it is
necessary for them to attend and state their position despite their dissatisfaction on the way process is conducted.

“Zapu is and was the primary target and direct victim of the genocide. As such, it is imperative that Zapu members attend the NPRC meetings so that we get to know the real events of that dark time of the country’s history. We need to hear these stories from the horse’s mouth rather than the hearsay stories coming from political parties and CSOs [civic society organisations] that didn’t exist during that time,” Maphosa said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, through the Justice ministry, has announced a cocktail of measures to address the emotive issue after meeting Matabeleland clergy and civic society leaders under the banner Matabeleland Collective.

The processes include allowing exhumations and reburials and issuance of birth and death certificates, but critics argue these processes were meaningless without acknowledgement, an apology and justice delivery.

BY SIBONGINKOSI MAPHOSA

Police officers who man the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) urban buses have petitioned government and the bus company over unpaid overtime.

In the petition, seen by Southern Eye, the police officers said they were working more than 18-hour shifts, which they alleged begin at 3:45am and end at 10pm.

“When those duties started, we had two shifts, one starting at 3:45am to 1pm and the other at 1:01pm to 10pm. But the command said one shift was enough,” read the petition.

The officers further said they spend many hours in the buses plying different routes, which they felt was unhealthy.

“For 18 hours, we are given only lunch, which is not enough,” the petition read.

They said Zupco was supposed to pay them an allowance of ZWL$30 daily, which should through their command, but they had never received the allowance.

“We hear news that Zupco pays travelling and subsistence allowances at RTGS$30, but it does not reach us. Many have fallen sick due to this strenuous duty,”
the petition read.

The police officers alleged that the Zimbabwe Republic Police was engulfed by so much panic such that even those at police stations were doing 12 hour-shifts.

“Security wise, we have so much fatigue. At Bulawayo Central, they have 12 hour-shift again and there is panic all of a sudden. You greed (sic) pay us our
allowances.”

Contacted for comment, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said there was a period when officers manning Zupco buses had to work
for longer hours due to logistical problems that the force’s Bulawayo province command was working on.

“I admit that we had a period when our officers had to work longer hours on the buses. This was due to logistical issues we had, but we managed to solve that
within three days,” he said.

However, Nyathi said if members of the police force had any problems, they knew the communication channel within the force, adding that their grievances
would never be ignored.

“Our position as the Zimbabwe Republic Police is, we are fully aware of the communication channels that we use in the event that we have grievances. Right now,
members are doing a two shift system, and I believe some of the allegations are exaggerated,” he said.

The police officers in their petition also complained over lack of winter uniforms.

“We do not have enough winter uniforms. Is our police commander aware of this?” the petition read.
Responding to the complaint, Nyathi said: “I am not aware of that, even the issue of ZWL$30 a day is new to me. Like I said, if police members have a problem,
they should use the proper communication channel, and desist from running to the Press.”

Zupco acting chief executive Everisto Madangwe distanced the company from any responsibility to police officers on duty aboard their fleet.

“I am not in a position to comment about the police welfare, I can only talk about the welfare of the Zupco employees, which happens to be my dispensation,”
Madangwe said.

ZRP officers have been on duty, maintaing security, ever since the threat of violent demonstrations by angry citizens, particularly in Harare, following fuel
hikes in January.