BY XOLISANI NCUBE

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has marginally increased the price of petrol and diesel by ZWL$0,29 and ZWL$0,18, respectively, with immediate effect as the local currency continues to plunge against the United States dollar.

Zera acting chief executive officer Edington Mazambani last night confirmed the increases, saying fuel dealers had been advised accordingly.

“It’s true, the prices you have are true. Fuel has gone up,” Mazambani said.

The retail price of blend petrol is now ZWL$5,26 per litre up from ZWL$4,97 and diesel will sell at ZWL$5,07 from ZWL$4,89 per litre. The price for ethanol is now ZWL$4,60 per litre. This is the third fuel increase within six months.

“Please be advised that the maximum pump prices for fuel will be as follows: Blend RTGS$5,26, diesel RTGS$5,07 per litre. The margins are as follows: Wholesale RTGS$0,20 cents per litre (and) retailer RTGS$0,25 cents per litre,” Mazambani said in a communiqué to oil firms yesterday.

Recently, some fuel dealers unilaterally increased the price of fuel to around ZWL$7 per litre, but were later forced to reverse the pump price hike by Energy minister Fortune Chasi.

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa consoles mourners attending the funeral of Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java, the daughter of the opposition party’s founding leader, the late Morgan Tsvangirai in Strathaven, Harare yesterday.

BY OBEY MANAYITI/Everson Mushava

THE late MDC national executive member and Glen View South MP Vimbai Tsvangirai-Java will be buried at Glen Forest Cemetery in Harare tomorrow, family spokesperson Manase Tsvangirai has said.

Addressing mourners at the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s Strathaven home where funeral proceedings are taking place, Manase said Vimbai’s body will today be taken to her Glen View South constituency and party headquarters before being taken home to lie in state ahead of burial.

Manase described the death of his late brother’s daughter as a huge blow to the family.

“We are very saddened by this. We didn’t plan for this thing and we are still in shock. There was good progress in hospital for Mrs Java. Words fail us to explain the shock that we are in right now.”

Vimbai, who was recently voted MDC women’s assembly secretary, died at a private hospital in Harare on Monday where she had been admitted since last month after she was involved in a horrific road accident in Kwekwe.

Batsirai Java, Vimbai’s husband, urged mourners to honour his wife in a special way and to dress immaculately during the funeral as part of respecting the departed.

Addressing mourners, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa reiterated his call for unity of purpose for the good of the country.

“There is no one who can succeed while working alone, but we succeed through unity,” said Chamisa, who has, however, refused to enter into a national dialogue initiated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, demanding that the Zanu PF leader recuse himself from leading the process.

Chamisa described Vimbai’s death as a heavy blow to both the party and the Tsvangirai family.

“We are here to celebrate a life of a legend, of an apostle, of an honourable member, a life of a politician whose life has been cut short. She was a budding politician,” he said.

Zanu PF political commissar Victor Matemadanda and MDC-T deputy president Obert Gutu also visited the Tsvangirai home to pay their condolences. Tsvangirai’s widow, Elizabeth was also among the mourners.

MDC spokesperson Jacob Mafume said the party had suspended its national council meeting slated for today to focus on the funeral.

“In honour of Vimbai, the national council that was there tomorrow (today) has been cancelled. We need time to mourn; we need time to send her off. The party leadership felt that it was important to respect her and make sure that we mourn her,” Mafume said.

“The national council was meant to conclude congress business. As you know, the national council sits as congress to finish any loose ends that would have been left out during the congress.”

BY BLESSED MHLANGA/SILAS NKALA/FARAI MATIASHE

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plans to abolish the multi-currency system in favour of a new local currency could spectacularly fail, resulting in more catastrophe for troubled Zimbabwe if fundamentals such as political legitimacy and productivity are not addressed, opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has warned.

Responding to Mnangagwa’s recent announcement that government will ditch the multi-currency regime and introduce a new local currency before year-end, Chamisa yesterday said this would not work.

This came as MDC youths yesterday gave Mnangagwa until end of this month to resolve the country’s worsening socio-economic crisis or risk crippling mass protests.

“The problem that Zimbabwe faces is not currency, it’s politics. Until we fix our politics, deal with the legitimacy issues and address the fundamentals of the economy, introducing a new currency will not work, it’s about the fundamentals,” Chamisa said.

He said the spectacular fall of the RTGS dollar soon after its introduction by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube should have awakened government to the reality of introducing a new currency without the requisite market confidence.

“Even if they were to allow trade directly in gold as currency, with the current government which is illegitimate and does not inspire national and international confidence, the gold will still lose value,” he said.

Chamisa said because of poor policies, alleged corruption and looting by top government officials, investment and capital had fled the country. This resulted in production suffering and creating serious problems for the economy.

“They should not lie about sanctions. When we were in the inclusive government, the same measures were in place, but we delivered. Business needs to have confidence in the government and policy direction. Capital will not come when you have corrupt elements holding influential positions,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by labour consultant Davies Ndumiso Sibanda and Innocent Ndibali, leader of the opposition Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters, who both said the economy was not ripe for a new currency.

Chamisa’s party has snubbed Mnangagwa’s all-parties political dialogue to end the economic crisis demanding that the Zanu PF leader recuse himself from leading the process, and has threatened to roll out mass protests to force government to urgently restore sanity in the economy.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters, MDC youth leader Obey Sithole said: “This assembly has agreed on a confrontational approach in dealing with this corrupt and illegitimate military regime. The answers to the national question lie in this generation which has a future to safeguard. As the MDC youth assembly, we are going to set the pace in making sure that we save this nation from extinction.

“Our message to Mr Mnangagwa is very clear. We are not going to respect bayonets and bullets, but the voices of the down-trodden and long-suffering masses. We are definitely going to organise mass action and occupy the streets since the streets have become more comfortable than our empty homes. We hear the State has beefed up its armoury to muzzle our voices, but we are not intimidated for we know they cannot shoot the entire nation. As such, we are declaring June our month of radicalisation.”

But Mnangagwa said a new local currency would restore economic sanity and stabilise prices of goods and services.

Secretary for Information, Ndavaningi Mangwana last night said government respected the constitutional right of citizens or political entities to demonstrate or protest peacefully.

“That’s not an issue at all,” he said. “It only becomes an issue if people decide to infringe the constitutional right of others not to participate by forcing them to do so or if people choose to employ violence in their processions. Then the State has no option, but to intervene to restore order and protect life, limb and property.”

Regarding the economy, Mangwana said dealing with the economic structural issues will not bear fruit in a month.

“Our Transitional Stabilisation Programme, which has been vaunted by all honest people, will only be complete at the end of 2020. No amount of protests or demonstrations will change the timelines for such a clear and progressive roadmap towards the attainment of vision 2030. Let’s all put our shoulders to the wheel and work for our country,” Mangwana said.

Soundtrack: Tapiwa Zivira

Harare’s Eaglesvale Junior School last week, hosted an impressive arts and culture fete themed Proudly Zimbabwean, where pupils came dressed in cultural attires worn by local tribes such as the Manyika, VaKaranga, VaHera, AmaNdebele, MaNdau, MaZezuru, and BaTonga.

The children also presented various cultural customs, but to cap it all was the music performances that spoke to culture and heritage.

Zvido Zvevanhu Dance Group’s Sithabile Mahubaba and the pupils showcased various music and dance acts with mbira and hosho, as in the nature of our cultures.

The event did not escape notice from the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ).

NACZ’s Harare provincial arts manager, William Ndinde praised the school for using arts to promote local culture.

The presence of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the umbrella body governing the local arts industry proved just how arts are a critical component of the education of the child, as they help infuse our culture and its dynamism into children who are growing up in this digital age, where they are exposed to many cultures of the world through the now easily accessible digital media.

Traditional music and dances, like many other cultural practices are under siege from new and urbanised beliefs, and the fete held by Eaglesvale is one example of how our culture can be effectively presented in its completeness, with music and dance taking centre stage.

This is because music is a powerful tool of expression and as part of our culture, when people gather for celebrations, mourning or rituals, music and dance are more like a soundtrack to evoke the desired atmosphere.

More importantly, schools — which are a major socialisation platform that shape the nature and calibre of any child — can with no doubt, play a significant role in grooming children into adults that are conscious of our arts and culture; adults that will pass on this heritage to future generations.

Mbira music, the dances and cultural attires associated with it are generally seen in the light of traditional spiritual rituals, and the majority of the Christian Zimbabweans speak of it as something linked to what they call the dark world, a trend which leads many to shun the music.

It will take our education system to correct such myths and distortions, and to make the future generations understand that mbira music and traditional dances play an important role in preserving the many good aspects of our culture.

Which is why, while the new educational curriculum has its problems, one of the major improvements is the mainstreaming of culture and music, with emphasis on local tradition.

There is a generation that did not get this grooming.

My generation was groomed to believe in some of the myths associated with mbira music, and we ended up loving rap music from America and dancehall from Jamaica, and seeing the few mbira artistes as “vanhu vemashave” and it had to take innovators such as Thomas Mapfumo at the time, to infuse mbira, hosho and the traditional drum into otherwise contemporary instrumentation to get the wide acceptance.

Of late, we have had many young artistes adding mbira to their contemporary beats, with key examples being Jah Prayzah, Mbeu, Maestro we Mhanda, Hope Masike, the late Chiwoniso Maraire and Diana Samkange.

This, complemented by the new curriculum’s emphasis on arts and culture, is a step in the right direction and while it may appear too unrealistic right now, it has a great influence on the socialisation of our children in the future.

BY Phyllis Mbanje

An outbreak of diarrhoea has been reported in parts of Harare’s Glen View, Budiriro and Glen Norah suburbs where over 22 people, mostly children, have been affected by the disease. The three high-density suburbs were epicentres for the cholera outbreak which claimed over 54 people late last year.

Harare City Council health director Prosper Chonzi confirmed the outbreak, saying since last week they had been noticing an increase in the number of diarrhoeal cases from clinics in those three suburbs.

“Glen View B is the worst affected. These cases have mostly been in areas where people have not had water for about a week and they have resorted to using water from shallow wells, some of them unprotected. This might be the reason,” he said.

Chonzi, however, noted that they had been examining stools from patients and so far they have not confirmed whether there is cholera or typhoid.

“We just believe they are infectious diarrhoeas, but it is too (early) for comfort, so we are advising people in those areas to use water sparingly and also use treated water.

“If you are not confident of the supplier of water, just boil it, use aqua tablets to treat the water and make sure you practice good personal hygiene,” he said.

The city health director also said because of limited water supplies people were resorting to open defecation.

“Because there is no running water, people tend to use the bush relieve themselves; that worsens the situation. In our health promotion messages, we urge people to practise good personal hygiene and make sure they use treated water,” he added.

Chonzi said they have 24-hour reaction teams working around the clock, surveilling any health-related issues.

Chonzi urged anyone, particularly those with children suffering from diarrhoea in these areas — because they succumb faster than adults, to go to the clinic and get screened for free.

Meanwhile, civic organisation Community Water Alliance said most of the affected areas were experiencing frequent burst sewers.

The chairperson for the organisation Hildaberta Rwambiwa said the outbreak was fast getting out of hand in Glen View.

The organisation’s focal person for ward 32 Joylene Nyachuru said sewer bursts and blockages have not been attended to for weeks now as council’s Glen View district office had no fuel to attend to emergencies.

“It seems they are failing to have a permanent solution to sewer bursts and blockages challenges,” she said.

Chengetayi Mapaya

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

ZIMBABWE triple jump sensation Chengetayi Mapaya is basking in glory after a memorable weekend in which he qualified for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Track and Field Championships to be held in Qatar from September 27 to October 6.

The 20-year-old student, who is on a track and field scholarship at Texas Christian University (TCU) in the United States, underlined his status as one of the rising stars in the sport after winning the triple jump title at the prestigious NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Texas last Friday.

Mapaya, who was in third place going into his sixth and final jump, flew 17,13 metres — the first time he has jumped over 17m in his young career — in the process passing up event leader and pre-competition favourite Jordan Scott of Virginia (17,01m) to win the national championship.

It was TCU’s first national title in track and field since American professional track and field athlete Ronnie Baker won the 60m dash in 2016.

More importantly, Mapaya’s massive leap, which is the 12th best triple jump mark in the world at the moment, ensured he booked his ticket to the World Championships in Doha.

“I had the advantage in that I was the last jumper, so I actually knew what I had to jump,” Mapaya said.

“It was amazing. I’ve always wanted to jump 17 meters and 56 feet. I believed and I did it.”

Mapaya, who earned First Team All-America Honors, shattered his own school record of 16,64m (54-7,25), set earlier this season at the National Relay Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The former George’s College student paid tribute to his coaches for his success.

“I want to thank all my coaches, friends and everyone who is a part of me. Without everyone’s support I would not have gotten here. My emotions are confused right now but I’m happy.

“I have qualified for the IAAF World Championships in September, so the grind doesn’t stop. Grateful for my second year in America and best believe there is more,” he said in a post on his Instagram page.

Qualifying for the World Championships will be the first step in Mapaya’s goal of not only qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but also make it to the final of the global quadrennial showpiece.

BY KEVIN MAPASURE

Egypt’s technical team is not taking the Warriors lightly, despite Zimbabwe being billed lightweights of Group A in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers finals.

Zimbabwe and Egypt will play the curtain raiser of the tournament at the 80 000-seater Cairo Stadium on Friday next week. Egypt have been doing their homework on the Sunday Chidzambga-coached side as they target a perfect start in a tournament they rate themselves as hot favourites.

The Warriors played Nigeria in an international friendly on Saturday and the match finished in a nil-all stalemate.

Egypt will play Tanzania tomorrow in their first warm-up match and Chidzambga (pictured), like what the Egyptians did on Friday, will be a keen observer.

The hosts nation’s assistant coach Hany Ramzy said they were closely monitoring the Warriors and have since observed that Zimbabwe can be very difficult to break down while their speedy forwards are always a threat.

“We are monitoring the Zimbabwe team very well. They are known for their solid defence, quick attacks and for depending on long balls,” Ramzy said.

“It will be a strong start. We hope to get a positive result as it would be a good boost to continue our campaign successfully.”

Under Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, Egypt have adopted a more adventurous approach to their play and they will be looking to use that against the Warriors.

Egypt and Zimbabwe have Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for company in their group, with the top two teams guaranteed passage to the knockout stages, while there is an extra window for third-place finishers depending on outcomes in other groups in the 24-team tournament.

Aguirre has observed that Uganda, DR Congo and Zimbabwe have similar attributes with all three blessed with pace upfront.

He also expects all three to be well-organised at the back.

“The three teams are similar to a big extent in terms of organisation. They have pace which they perfectly use to hit their opponents on the break,” Aguirre told the Egyptian FZ’s website.

“This will put us under pressure and we will have to be fully focused on taking our chances.”

The former Mexico boss also said Egypt need to make the most of their home advantage.

The Pharaohs won the title the last time they hosted the tournament in 2006.

“You [the fans] have a big role to play to help us win the trophy. Don’t waste this chance,” he told the fans.

The mentor has decided to go for experience in his squad selection, roping in players that he believes can withstand the pressure of expectation at home.

“Egypt’s hosting of the Nations Cup opened the door for some experienced players,” Aguirre said.

“We want to make the most of their experience and recent fine displays.”

The seven-time African champions have 17 locally-based players in their squad, but have one of the best players in the world in Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah.

Salah is expected to pay a key part in his nations’ campaign for an eighth Afcon title, but despite his profile, Zimbabwe’s defenders have said they hold no fears.

This week Chidzambga said his team had learnt a lot in their experience against Nigeria on Saturday.

He said his team would draw a lot of confidence from their performance against the Super Eagles, especially considering that they managed to keep a clean sheet against the former African champions.

Zimbabwe will play their final warm-up match against Tanzania on Sunday, with Egypt polishing up against Guinea on the same day.

Zimbabwe 2019 Afcon squad:

Goalkeepers: George Chigova, Edmore Sibanda, Elvis Chipezeze

Defenders: Tendayi Darikwa, Jimmy Dzingai, Divine Lunga, Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu, Ronald Pfumbidzai

Midfielders: Marshall Munetsi, Marvelous Nakamba, Danny Phiri, Ovidy Karuru, Kuda Mahachi, Talent Chawapihwa, Khama Billiat, Knowledge Musona, Tafadzwa Kutinyu, Thabani Kamusoko

Strikers: Nyasha Mushekwi, Tino Kadewere, Evans Rusike, Knox Mutizwa

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

NEVER mind the first instalment of this year’s blockbuster clash between the domestic football’s biggest rivals — Highlanders and Dynamos — there always comes at a time both giants are battling to lift themselves out of trouble.

It’s sure to be fascinating at Barbourfields on Sunday, with both the Harare giants Dynamos and their hosts Highlanders demanding responses after indifferent performances, which have seen both sides struggle at the lower echelons of the table.

There have been some classics between the two sides in recent years and football fans expect another one.

The two have been in similar circumstances, where the Harare giants had a sluggish start to the campaign under Lloyd Chigowe before Tonderai Ndiraya took over, while Highlanders have also been poor.

Both can ill afford another defeat at this stage and certainly not in this fixture, almost guaranteeing fans a thriller.

Madinda Ndlovu’s men are entangled in the drop zone, lying in fourth position from the bottom with a paltry 11 points out of a possible 33 points. They have won just two, drawn five and lost four.

Their strike force has scored just five goals — the worst scoring rate in the topflight which they share with TelOne.

Highlanders are also coming from a dispiriting 1-0 defeat to Yadah FC and will be determined to bounce back.

Dynamos might have undergone a major transformation under Ndiraya and have, at times, exhibited some battling qualities which have seen them posting some good results including a memorable victory over defending champions FC Platinum.

Although they have scored only seven goals thus far, they have won four matches, drawn three and lost four. They lie in 10th place with 15 points.

In their previous encounter against Manica Diamonds, they shared the spoils following a 0-0 draw, a result that did not please Ndiraya.

Caps United and Chicken Inn will be both looking to bounce back following defeats at the weekend when the Green Machine host TelOne on Sunday, while the GameCocks have an away assignment against Triangle.

PSL weekend fixtures

Saturday: Bulawayo Chiefs v FC Platinum (Luveve), Chapungu v Yadah (Mandava), Black Rhinos v ZPC Kariba (NSS), Harare City v Herentals (Rufaro).

Sunday: Caps United v TelOne (NSS), Triangle v Chicken Inn (Gibbo), Mushowani v Hwange (Rufaro), Highlanders v Dynamos (Barbourfields), manica Diamonds v Ngezi Platinum Stars (Vengere)

BY SHARON SIBINDI

VICTORIA FALLS-BASED award-winning poet, Obert Dube, has said the use of social media to market his work has seen him attracting business as his performance bookings have increased.

Dube told NewsDay Life & Style that his decision, which has paid off, followed advice from fans to use social media as a marketing tool.

“Last year was not a good year for me, but this time around I have been working hard in terms of promoting my work. My fans advised me to use social media to reach out to the people,” he said.

“I have been working on it and I post on WhatsApp and Facebook and people share. This is working well for me and my bookings have improved.”

Dube said promoters started approaching him after seeing his video clips circulating on social media.

“I have more than 50 clips and the best, Spend Carefully, has over 360 000 views. It’s trending online. It talks about me having a short time fling with a girl,” he said.

“South Africans loved it and shared the clip and across Africa, anyone who understands the joke, loved it.”

Dube said he recently missed an event in the United Kingdom after some bureaucratic bottlenecks in securing his passport.

“In October, however, I will be in Botswana attending a festival. I have a lot of bookings lined up and God is helping me,” he said.

Dube received an award at the National Arts Merit Awards in 2014 for being an outstanding poet. He has performed at several functions, including the unveiling of the statue of the late former Vice-President Joshua
Nkomo.

Editorial Comment

BARELY four days after Mashonaland West province raised an SOS on the shortage of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), Health minister Obadiah Moyo had the temerity to tell the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids that the country had adequate supplies of ARVs stocked up at National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) to last until the first quarter of 2020.

This is despite reports that integrated TB and HIV centres in some parts of the country were struggling for supplies of Ab a-lam, with others dispensing expired life-saving drugs as a stop-gap measure.

That the country has a perennial shortage of the precious lifesaving drugs is not a secret and neither is the fact that NatPharm is mired in distribution challenges which have seen some drugs expiring before reaching their intended beneficiaries.

Moyo’s claims are shallow considering the fact that supply of the medicines is still dependent on foreign aid through the Global Fund.

For years, the government has relied heavily on foreign aid, a situation which puts patients in a precarious position should the donors decide to pull the plug and stop their funding.

A recent fact-finding tour of NatPharm by the parliamentary committee revealed that the warehouse was still dependent on donor supplies for its stocks.

People’s lives are on the line and it defies all logic that a whole minister, who claims to be the custodian of the Health ministry, will embark on cheap politicking to save his face. It makes a whole lot of sense to be honest and report facts as they are. Hiding behind a façade will not alleviate the sad situation.

A top United Nations official on Monday said about 1,1 million people living with HIV were struggling to access anti-retroviral medication in the Cyclone Idai-distressed countries, which include Zimbabwe.

In essence, it means Zimbabwe has a bigger challenge, which is being compounded by officials who “cook up” figures and facts so they might appear like they are working hard.

Maybe the minister needs to be reminded that the million-plus lives that depend on ARVs are hanging in the balance as he goes around presenting a perfect scenario when on the ground, nothing has really changed.

We understand his pressure to outdo his predecessors, but at what cost? Wouldn’t it be better to raise the red flag and get help than pretend it is all under control when clearly it is not. His ministry is going to the dogs with serious health disasters looming at every corner.

Moyo is a likeable character, no doubt, but real commitment backed by real resources and action is what the people of Zimbabwe expect of the good minister. Let us promptly sort out the drug situation before embarking on ambitious programmes of turning public health facilities into state-of-the-art hospitals with empty drug shelves.