BY KEVIN MAPASURE

THE Warriors will test their ammunition by shooting at the Super Eagles of Nigeria as the two nations prepare for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers that will take place in Egypt from June 21.

Following the Cosafa Cup, where the players that will feature at the Afcon finals played two matches for Zimbabwe, the ultimate test will be against a star-studded Nigeria side that is looking to make an impact at the finals this time on, having missed out on the last edition that was staged in Gabon in 2017.

Zimbabwe are also billed to play another warm-up match against Tanzania, but whatever weaponry they will be looking to use against Egypt, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, they will want to test it today at the Stephen Keshi Stadium against the Super Eagles.

While a few players that will join the rest of the squad in Egypt stayed on in Durban, South Africa, for the third and fourth-place play-off against Lesotho played last night, Sunday Chidzambga took with him to Nigeria his big hitters.

Nyasha Mushekwi, who has not featured in Warriors colours since the Gabon finals two years ago, should be making his return in today’s
encounter.

Zimbabwe rarely test themselves against some of the big names on the continent, but they have been afforded an opportunity to gauge themselves well ahead of the Afcon tournament opener against Egypt on June 21 in Cairo.

The Cosafa Cup semi-final clash against Zambia on Wednesday was useful in its own way as the need to sharpen the shooting skills was laid bare.

Tino Kadewere missed yet another good chance in the Warriors colours and doubts are growing over his pedigree.

The return of Mushekwi at the point of the attack should solve the goal-scoring problems.

But some watchers of the game have had their misgivings over the fitness of captain Knowledge Musona and here is an opportunity for the talisman to get more minutes under his belt.

Nigeria are looking to give a good run to those players that struggled for game time at their clubs and the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho are set for considerable time on the pitch.

Striker and captain Ahmed Musa is also set to test the strengths of Zimbabwe’s backline, likely to consist of Tendai Darikwa, Alec Mudimu, Teenage Hadebe and Devine Lunga.

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has also returned to the Nigeria side and should provide Zimbabwe with the sort of competition that they can use to examine themselves.

Warriors assistant coach Rahman Gumbo said the match against Nigeria would be important for Zimbabwe to assess their preparations.

“We are happy with the preparations, and we are going to play Nigeria in our next friendly match at the weekend. Now, we want to test our team against the big boys and see what happens from there,” he said.

Warriors Squad

George Chigova, Edmore Sibanda, Tendai Darikwa, Jimmy Dzingai, Devine Lunga, Teenage Hadebe, Alec Mudimu, Marshall Munetsi, Marvelous Nakamba, Danny Phiri, Ovidy Karuru, Kuda Mahachi, talent Chawapihwa, Khama Billiat, Nyasha Mushekwi, Tino Kadewere, Evans Rusike, Knowledge Musona

INTERVIEW Obey Manayiti

NEWLY-ELECTED MDC secretary-general Charlton Hwende says the Nelson Chamisa-led party will never split again as structural issues which were causing divisions have been addressed through constitutional amendments.

Hwende (CH) recently spoke to NewsDay Weekender (NDW) senior reporter, Obey Manayiti about his vision for the party and below are the excerpts:

NDW: You defied odds and clinched the secretary-general position, what can you attribute this to?

CH: I owe my victory to the collective wisdom of congress delegates and MDC members at large, who appreciated my election manifesto, nominated and voted for me to be their servant leader in the office of the SG.

NDW: As the SG, what are your immediate tasks?

CH: If you fail to plan, then plan to fail. We need to do things differently. We’ve a five-year mandate and my immediate task is to kickstart the process of developing a five-year results-based strategic plan, a blue-print which will define our path to power towards 2023 or earlier as well as articulate the technical and administrative competencies required to achieve our strategic objectives.

Nestled in the five-year strategic plan are short-term milestones. These will include a rapid assessment of the party’s administrative performance in the last five years, focusing
primarily on two questions: i) What is working and why?, and, ii) What is not working and why? Or what can we do differently?

This process will help us co-create a shared vision and plan of action for the technical arm of the party. We need to make strategic choices among competing priorities. And we can only do this if we’ve a strategy and plan in place. We are a learning movement.

NDW: What is your view of the newly-elected team? Do you think they have what it takes to deliver against Zanu PF?

CH: We’ve a winning team, under the able leadership of a turn-around strategist, Advocate Chamisa. We’re part of the solution holders to the deep-seated, multi-faceted crisis facing our motherland. Our past performance in government is a public secret.

Our president was voted best minister for his work in the ICT ministry; Honourable Tendai Biti is without doubt the best-ever Finance minister to lead the Treasury; Senator David
Coltart did exceptionally well in the Primary and Secondary Education portfolio; so did Professor Welshman Ncube in the Industry and Commerce ministry and Honourable Paurina Mpariwa as Labour minister.

NDW: Your predecessors, save for Douglas Mwonzora, caused splits in the party — what was the cause of this and how are you going to deal with it?

CH: We had a structural issue, which has its roots in the labour movement, our mother. The founding MDC constitution was heavily influenced by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions constitution, which has a very powerful office of secretary-general. This is a norm in most labour movements.
We’ve addressed this structural issue through constitutional amendments, which basically re-calibrated the balance of power to reflect the political reality, that the president is the head of our party. Conflicts are inevitable. In addition to the constitutional reforms, we are also working on developing a robust conflict management and resolution framework, a systemic tool to manage internal contradictions in the party.

NDW: Critics say you are very close to party leader Chamisa. With that closeness, would you be able to carry out your duties diligently and independently without protecting your relationship first?

CH: The office of the SG is a complex technical and administrative construct with an institutional mandate to help the president and the leadership collective to effectively turn the party’s vision and mission into a path to a power programme of action. I’ll turn my relationship with the president and the leadership collective into a partnership to help the party continue to win elections and, more importantly, transform people’s lives. Our people are suffering and they need solutions.

NDW: Are you also into any business relationship with Chamisa, as some people allege?

CH: I’m not in any business relationship with president Chamisa.

NDW: There are also claims that you are a divisive leader who uses dirty tactics, including using money to fight your opponents, how do you respond to this?

CH: The challenges we face are bigger than the smallness of our politics. This is the time to beat back the politics of fear and mudslinging, and focus on strengthening the party, articulate our alternative policy propositions, and consolidate the democratic value system which manifested itself during the just-ended elective congress.

NDW: Do you have a plan for the losing candidates?

CH: There are no losers in the MDC. In the MDC’s internal elections, it’s either you win or you learn. And, like I said before, we are a learning organisation and learning platforms are many in this great movement.

NDW: Where do you see the MDC in the next two or three years?

CH: I see a high performance party with superior technical competencies and administrative capacity to help president Chamisa and the party deliver on this founding vision of creating a modern democratic development State in Zimbabwe.

NDW: The MDC has threatened demonstrations against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, are you prepared to lead from the front?

CH: We will always stand with the citizens. We are a people’s party.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

PRESIDENT EMMERSON Mnangagwa has revealed that government had resolved to abolish the multi-currency system and ensure that all transactions are conducted using a local currency to be introduced into the market before year-end.

Addressing Southlea Park residents in Harare after a clean-up exercise yesterday, Mnangagwa said the multi-currency regime had been adopted to deal with the hyper-inflation experienced between 2008 and 2009, but there was no longer any basis to retain it.

Mnangagwa said the multi-currency regime had served its purpose and would soon be put to bed, an announcement likely to trigger panic in the already jittery financial market, where the RTGS$ is fast long value against the US$ each day.

“In 2008-2009, for those who were older, you will remember that our money (Zimbabwe dollar) collapsed to a point that one would wake up as a billionaire after going to bed a
millionaire. Others became trillionaires,” he said.

“So, the government at that time sat down after seeing that our money was now valueless and came up with a basket of currencies, which included the American dollar, (South African)
rand, (Botswana) pula and other currencies used to trade locally, so that we solve the problems which had befallen us at that time.

“But we can’t walk our journey without our own currency. There is no country without its own currency. South Africa has its rand. If you go to South Africa with an American dollar, a euro or any currency, you go to the bank and change it and get the rand. This is what you use in shops in that country. If you go to Botswana, Malawi or Zambia, you do the same.”

Mnangagwa said the current price fluctuations being experienced in the market were being caused by the absence of a local base currency.

“The country can’t prosper going ahead without its own currency. Currency from other countries is printed by those countries. We only get it if we export, then you get paid in foreign
currency, or those with friends and relatives in the diaspora, you will receive it,” he said.

“As a country, we must have our own currency. That journey, we have started. We have started that journey because right now you go and sleep when the US dollar is trading at 1:5
(against ZWL$), the following day you wake up, it will be trading at 1:7 and it (ZWL$) keeps losing value and after they have said that, then they increase prices citing the exchange rate,”

The new currency, according to Mnangagwa, will end 11 years of a multi-currency regime.

“We are going to a point where it will be illegal to trade using the American dollar or (British) pound locally. You can keep it in your pocket, but when you want to buy, you will
have to change it to local currency,” he said.

“In our plan as government and our economics, we are predicting that by year-end, the things that I am speaking of will have happened.”

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti, speaking in London early this week said the only way to save the Zimbabwean economy was to re-dollarise, adding a local currency could not be
sustained given the poor levels of productivity.

BY CHARLES LAITON

FIVE of the seven local human rights activists nabbed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport last month on allegations of attending a subversion workshop in Maldives as part of a plot to topple President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government, were yesterday released on $1 000 bail each following their appeal at the High Court.

These are George Makoni, Tatenda Mombeyarara, Gamuchirai Mukura, Nyasha Mpahlo and Farirayi Gumbonzvanda.

In granting them bail, High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi ordered them to surrender their passports, continue residing at their given addresses and to report every day at their nearest police stations.

Their two co-accused, Sithabile Dewa and Beauty Rita Nyampinga, who are facing similar charges, are set to appear at the same court on Monday for bail ruling.
Justice Chitapi said the State had failed to prove that the alleged workshop attended by the accused incited them to embark on acts of subversion.

“The programme of the workshop was produced by the applicants, who wanted to prove that the workshop had nothing to do with subversion, but the State then pounced on the programme and tried to make it its own case,” the judge ruled.

Justice Chitapi said although he agreed with the State that the allegations should be viewed in serious light, it was, therefore, important for the court to balance the interests of the
State and those of the arrested individuals.

“This court will take judicial notice of issues of violence which has rocked the country recently, but the State failed to link the applicants with the previous disturbances … It is clear that the State arrested to investigate since prosecutor Clemence Chimbari submitted that the seized cellphones of the applicants and laptops were currently being checked for any subversive information at Potraz [Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe],” he said.

The judge also said the suspects told the court through their lawyers that their arrest and detention was unlawful and was done in violation of their constitutional rights to
liberty.

“They said they were not informed of their charges upon arrest. This was not contested by the State,” he said.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

OPPOSITION MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, still basking in the glory of a fresh mandate given to him at the party congress last month, has rekindled his fight to effectively bar former vice-president Thokozani Khupe from using the party symbols, name and related regalia.

The MDC, in its resolutions at the just-ended congress held in Gweru, ratified the expulsion of Khupe, former spokesperson Obert Gutu and former organising secretary Abednigo Bhebhe, saying they formed their own political party and should, therefore, be stopped from masquerading as members of the Chamisa-led party.

“Congress noted that some former members of the MDC party, namely Thokozani Khupe, Obert Gutu and Abednigo Bhebhe, were expelled by the national council and subsequently left the party to form and found their new political home. Congress, therefore, confirms their expulsion by the national council and further resolves that they must, forthwith, cease or be stopped from using the party’s name, symbols, trademarks and intellectual property,” part of the resolutions read.

Spokesperson Jacob Mafume confirmed that their lawyers were putting in place measures to ensure that the legal case over party symbols and names between the MDC and Khupe was brought to finality.

“The case is already before the courts and after the congress resolutions, our lawyers are moving to ensure that the case is brought to finality so that our symbols and logo are not abused and used by people who are not part of the party,” he said.

Congress mandated Chamisa to clip Khupe’s wings by ensuring that she is barred from using the name MDC-T, slogans or party regalia.

“Congress resolved that the name of the party should not be used by anyone who is not a member of the MDC for any purpose without the authority of national council. In particular, no seceding, expelled or resigned person/s shall be allowed to use or continue to use the name of the Party or any derivative thereof,” part of the resolutions read.

Gutu dismissed the resolutions by the Chamisa-led party as “kindergarten gibberish”.

“They will not win this; they are allowed to day dream. They will not win this one, they are day dreaming, but they can try and, as usual, we will give them the Mike Tyson knock-out
punch,” he said.

Khupe has maintained that she is the legitimate successor of the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai, adding Chamisa had used unorthodox means to wrest the party leadership from her.

By Stephen Chadenga

JUSTICE minister Ziyambi Ziyambi yesterday commissioned the Anti-Corruption Court for the Midlands province, where he called on judicial institutions and law enforcement agencies to keep abreast of sophisticated criminal activities and stay ahead of criminal syndicates which thrive on graft.

Ziyambi said corruption was the greatest threat to the country’s bid to attain an upper-middle class economy by 2030.

“Criminals, particularly those who thrive on corruption, use sophisticated means to achieve their objectives,” he said.

“It is necessary for us to design strategies which ensure that law enforcement agencies and judicial institutions stay ahead of the criminal syndicates.

“We are working towards achieving a middle-class economy by 2030. The greatest threat to these initiatives would be human created bottlenecks like corruption.”

Ziyambi said besides hindering development, corruption affected the poor most, with public resources diverted to benefit a few corrupt individuals.

“May I once again reiterate that corruption hits the poor the hardest because they are the most in need of goods and services yet they cannot pay bribes,” he said.

“Public resources are diverted to the pockets of corrupt individuals, instead of being channelled towards needed investments in transport, energy, health, education to mention but a
few. Undeserving people get their way simply because they can pay their way through and this should not be.”

Ziyambi said the challenges slowing progress in dealing with corruption cases had been dealt with, adding that trials of such matters would be “apparently in the short-term”.

He said people needed to move away from the perception that corruption only existed in public institutions, as it was also evident in the private sector.

The Justice minister said corruption not only deprived government of revenue meant for the country’s economic development, but also took away the credibility of institutions at all
levels.

Midlands is the fifth province to have anti-corruption courts, a project being spearheaded by the Judicial Service Commission to cover all the country’s 10 provinces.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

ABOUT seven million condoms were distributed across Mashonaland East province last year alone, in a bid to combat sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and new HIV infections.

Addressing scores of villagers at Bondamakara in Mutoko during a belated World Aids Day commemoration yesterday, Health ministry representative George Machacha said about 6,6 million condoms were distributed, while more than 20 000 males were circumcised.

“Against a background of high STIs, at least 6,6 million condoms were distributed across the province in 2018. The coverage of voluntary medical male circumcision reached 22 348 males, while we are currently at 6,7% towards the 5% target of virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission. Our progress towards the first 90%, which requires people to get tested for
HIV , is now at 74%,” he said.

In Mashonaland East, STIs are highly prevalent in Marondera, Murewa and Nyamapanda as well as in farming communities and growth points along the Harare-Nyamapanda Highway.

Machacha added that 114 000 people in the province with HIV were on anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

“In addition to this, from when we started the ART programme in 2004 and with a negative economic landscape, Mashonaland East now has nearly 114 000 people living with HIV who are on ART, which is an 83% coverage. Of those that are on treatment, 83% are virally suppressed,” he added.

The World Aids Day commemorations were held under the theme Know Your Status.

Due to HIV prevention interventions such as condom distribution, male circumcisions, HIV testings, PMTC preventions and social campaigns for behaviour change, the HIV incidence rate has dropped to 0,48% in 2016 from 0,88% in 2011, while HIV prevalence rate remains stagnant at 14,1%.

BY CHARLES LAITON

AILING former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo, whose passport was recently seized by a State security agent at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport as he sought to fly to South Africa for a medical review, has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking an order to compel a Harare Magistrates’ Courts clerk to release his travel document, to enable him to proceed with his travel arrangements.

The former Cabinet minister’s passport was seized last month and handed back to the Harare Magistrates Courts under unclear circumstances. Chombo was about to check-in into- a South African-bound Fastjet airline when the passport was seized.

In his affidavit through his lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, Chombo said his earlier application to the High Court was dismissed by Justice Nyaradzo Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa despite the fact that she did not make a determination that his travel document was unlawfully taken away from him.

Justice Munangati-Manongwa ordered Chombo to go back to the lower court and exhaust all alternative remedies, including filing for contempt of court charges against the clerk of court
who is alleged to have refused to release his passport despite an extant order.

“As the judgment of the court aquo (High Court) makes it clear, there is no factual dispute regarding the following; that the passport was unlawfully taken away from me (Chombo) by a State agent; that it was handed back to the first respondent (clerk of court) and that the first respondent is refusing to release it to me in accordance with the order of May 10, 2019,” he said.

The former minister further said he was now worried that if the passport was not released on time, he would miss his medical review dates and above all, the date upon which the court ordered the return of the same passport would be due with him not having utilised it.

“If my appeal is heard urgently before June 21, 2019 and it succeeds, I will be able to utilise the remaining days before June 21, 2019 and have very useful medical reviews. My failure to travel for medical treatment is causing me a great deal of mental and physical pain,” Chombo said.

“I fear for my health. I feel it every day that is passing that my health is deteriorating. At my age, these routine medical reviews are a source of strength.” The matter is pending.

SUCCESS LIFE Jonah Nyoni

AT times we allow people to control us. Some control us using fear, manipulation, and authority as tools.

At times, we are controlled by what the crowds must think of us. Naturally, we want to fit into what we found. In this writing, I want you to stretch out your wings and live your dream. Who is that person who has been limiting and controlling you? Let’s talk about them and how you can free yourself.

Fault-funders

People control us using the weaknesses they know about us. People will talk you out by picking on your blackspots. Don’t be deceived, everyone has their own weaknesses. These people hold us back and are very toxic. Such people include leaders, spouses, friends and some in the family. These people are always looking out and picking on your faults. Believe in your strengths and believe that you can.

Critics

Some people don’t want you to excel in life and they would generally respond negatively to your new ideas. You might propose something great and what they would do is to hammer and crash your strides. There are people that will always criticise you and at times for no tangible reason. At times you don’t need to respond and if ever you are to, always use wisdom.

Belittlers

Some people want their opinion or contributions to be the ones accepted and so what that do they don’t consider your thoughts and contributions. They act as though you have never done anything great. In such a situation you respond by doing what is good. There is nothing like a person who ran in their track. The easy way to free yourself from what people think of you is never try to please everyone. Work and walk confidently and after all you are a masterpiece.

Inflictors

There are people that want you to be in pain. So, they will look for means to bring that pain. They will look for something to blame you for. They will remind you of that painful and degrading past. Not because they want to show you lessons, but to lessen your credibility and inform everyone of your worst past. Learn of your past, but don’t stay in your past.

Publicists

Some people will talk bad about you. They publish all the worst and lies about you. Yes, they are publicists; negative ones. As an author, I have personally felt that pain, especially on platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Respected people will just find something to talk about, and all of sudden you get published to thousands of followers. What do you do, never try to justify yourself. Keep on your game.

Shooters

These people want to always shoot you down. When you go up, they are looking for means to bring you down. They don’t care all the good you have done, they are ready to shoot you.

The Judas Iscariots

There are people that will seemingly show signs of love. These are too dangerous. They will feast with you on the same table, give you a kiss, but sell you out to your enemies. There is nothing as painful as being betrayed. The person that betrays you is that one you love and they seemingly love you back.

The CIAs

Such people will use overt, organised and concealed means to know your worst works. They investigate you deeply and tactfully. What they want is to create headline news about your life, and boom, the negative is published. How do you win with these? Keep doing great things so that they find no reason to crucify you.

Parting Point: I hope you picked one from the seven kinds of people who inflict a lot of pain. Such people are inevitable. If you want to be great, there is no way you can avoid such
people. Remember, when people start speaking about you, there is a possibility that you are shifting or shaking spaces. Keep doing it. “Cutting people from your life does not mean you hate them, it simply means you respect yourself. Not everyone is meant to stay” (Cited from the Live Life Happy Website)

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO IN CAPE TOWN

ZIMBABWE Academy has made six changes to the team to face Eastern Province as they seek a winning finish to their SuperSport Rugby Challenge campaign at the Village Rugby Club here today.

Head coach Brendan Dawson, who has continuously rotated his squad throughout the six week tour, experimenting with different combinations, has made another major backline shake-up for a match they are eager to win after crushing defeats in their last two matches against Cheetahs and Boland.

The Young Bucks, as the Zimbabwe Academy are affectionately known, have lost all their six games so far, despite putting some strong performances in the South Section of South Africa’s tier two competition.

Heading into the final game, Dawson has kept faith in the front row trio of losehead prop Tyran Fagan, hooker Matthew Mandioma and in-form tighthead Cleopas Kundiona, who will head to Sharks after today’s final game.

Towering lock Sanele Sibanda replaces George Saumgweme in the second row, where he partners stand-in captain Jan Ferreira, while Biselele Tshamala returns to the blindside flanker role, with Brian Nyaude retaining his place at open side flanker.

England-based ex-Zimbabwe youth international Aiden Burnett completes the loose trio at No.8 after coming in for Njabulo Ndlovu, who drops to the replacements.

Jeremiah Jaravaza, who has been a revelation during the tour, takes over at flyhalf ahead of injured captain Brendon Mandivenga, while vice-captain Hilton Mudariki starts at scrum-half.

Dawson also rotated his midfield, which means a first start this year for Daniel Capsopulous, who will form a new centre partnership with Mathew MacNab.

Western Province winger Sam Phiri, Old Georgians Takudzwa Kumadiro and fullback Kuda Chiwanza make up the back three.

Zimbabwe Academy Starting line-up: 15. Kuda Chiwanza 14. Takudzwa Kumadiro 13. Matthew McNab 12. Daniel Capsopulous 11. Sam Phiri 10. Jeremiah Jaravaza 9. Hilton Mudariki (Vice-Captain)
8. Aiden Burnett 7. Brian Nyaude 6. Biselele Tshamala 5. Sanele Sibanda 4. Jan Ferreira (Captain) 3. Cleopas Kundiona 2. Matthew Mandioma 1. Tyran Fagan.

Replacements: 16. Neil Mawere 17. Royal Mwale 18. Godfrey Muzanargwo, 19. Blithe Mavesere 20. Njabulo Ndlovu 21. Kuziwakwashe Kazembe 22. Takudzwa Chieza