THE family of the late MDC founder Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday said it would not hesitate to continue approaching President Emmerson Mnangagwa for assistance should need arise, saying the country’s leadership had come to the fore in their times of need.
Tsvangirai succumbed to cancer of the colon last year and the government bankrolled his funeral and his memorial service held last month in Buhera.
Family spokesperson and brother to the late MDC founding leader, Manase said they were grateful for what the government and Mnangagwa have done so far and in future, should they face challenges, nothing will stop them from extending a begging bowl once more.
Although this will likely anger many opposition supporters, Manase said the family saw nothing wrong with it.
“The family will not hesitate to approach the President or the government if we see the need as a family. As of now things are still okay, but if we face any form of challenge we will definitely approach him,” he said.
“We want to thank Mnangagwa as a person and as Head of State because on our own we were not going to be able to mobilise the resources that were required.
“These include food, tents, chairs, mobile toilets, road repairs, catering services and enough security. Had it not been for them, we wouldn’t have achieved what we did,” he said.
Manase also thanked police boss Godwin Matanga and his subordinates for the security and other logistical support.
He also thanked other individual MDC leaders for contributing towards the memorial of Tsvangirai as well as other institutions such as the Methodist Church.
Tsvangirai’s daughter and Glen View legislator, Vimbai is currently hospitalised after she was recently involved in a road accident in Kwekwe. The family spokesperson said if the hospital bills balloon beyond their reach, they will approach the government.
Asked if this will not create problems for them with the MDC family, Manase said because the party leader Nelson Chamisa thanked the government at Tsvangirai’s memorial in Buhera for the material support there would be no problems.
Tsvangirai was one of the first opposition leaders to come close to snatching power from Zanu PF. He is credited for revolutionising opposition politics in Zimbabwe.
THE Australian Embassy in Harare has come to the rescue of Zimbabwe’s financially-struggling World Cup-bound national netball team with a kit donation.
Having qualified for the World Cup that will be staged in England this July, the Gems have been up and around with their begging bowl, seeking both financial and material support.
Just days after telecommunications company TelOne chipped in with some financial support, the team received another boost of a training kit from Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Bronte Moules on Monday evening.
Moules said her embassy was honoured to host the Gems who are an inspiration to other young girls and women following their achievement.
“Qualifying to the World Cup was a wonderful achievement and we are delighted to have the team this evening,” she said.
“There is so much talk about Zimbabwe and where it’s going in the world and how it is re-engaging, so I think It is wonderful to have Zimbabwe on this world stage at this point of Zimbabwe’s history. Sport diplomacy speaks a universal language, it is such a wonderful way to communicate. Sport is one of the most powerful messages. The message to young girls to be able to aspire to do whatever they want to do. When sports heroes carry that message everyone listens. You (Gems) are inspiring young girls and women and you are encouraging a culture of respect among young boys. We would want to wish you all the best at the World Cup. We don’t underestimate the hard work that has been put for the team to achieve this. We are delighted to be able to celebrate that with you.”
Zimbabwe Netball Association boss Leticia Chipandu said: “On behalf of the Gems I want to thank the Australian Embassy for this gesture. It will go a long way in cushioning the girls and the team’s needs. Thank you very much for caring,” she said.
BEITBRIDGE police’s slow reaction in the last three days have been blamed for three sudden deaths.
A Good Samaritan was fatally stabbed as he tried to rescue a woman being attacked by robbers whose presence police had been advised of, NewsDay has heard.
The other two sudden deaths were of men who took their lives by hanging.
Matabeleland South police spokesman Philisani Ndebele said he was out of the office and did not have information.
“Please get hold of those in the office, I am out in Hwali,” he said.
Police sources at Beitbridge confirmed the three deaths.
“Thirty-year Jeremiah Mutasa was stabbed close to the border post when he lept in to help a woman under attack by robbers. He was stabbed in the chest,” said the source,
“Police had been warned about the suspicious people, but they did not take preventive action. A woman got off a bus at a roundabout near the Customs and Excise gate and the robbers swarmed her. The deceased successfully rescued the woman, but paid with his life,” a source said.
Residents said there are usually more than 10 policemen close to the point where Mutasa died.
The incident occurred around 2am and has sparked debate on the role of the police deployed at the border post.
Elsewhere in Dulivhadzimo, 34-year-old Emmanuel Ndlovu hanged himself in what is suspected to be a result of depression after losing his job.
Ndlovu was a clerk at a local wholesaler but lost his job. His body was discovered by passers-by in the bushes in Dulivhadzimo.
In the same high-density suburb, Jeffrey Masiya took his life following a domestic dispute.
It is understood that Masiya and his wife had disagreed over an undisclosed issue leading to the 34 -year-old taking his life.
MDC spokesperson for Chikombedzi district John Mazhata, who is facing charges of intimidating teachers during the January fuel protests, was further remanded to June 14 for ruling.
The trial ended in April with all the witnesses denying being intimidated by the opposition party activist.
Chiredzi magistrate Constance Mtandwa, however, reserved ruling to May 14, May 31, before it was again rolled over to June 14.
Mazhata, a farmer from Chikombedzi, who was charged with violating Section 45 of the Criminal Law (Codification and reform Act) [Chapter 9-23], handed himself to Law and Order officers at Chikombedzi Police Station on February 18, 2019, after several days in hiding.
He is the only person in Chiredzi who has been arrested and arraigned before the courts to face charges relating to the January protests. Although Chiredzi residents participated in the stayaway, there were no reports of violence in the town. The protests were triggered by a 150% fuel price hike announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
According to Chiredzi area prosecutor, Moreblessing Rusere, on January 16, Mazhata made various phone calls to Amos Hlongwani, Chikombedzi Primary School headmaster, Jealousy Mupomba of Alpha High School and Ruzai Vhare of Zhou Primary School threatening them with unspecified action if they reported for duty during the mass protests.
The State alleges that Mazhata’s actions were unlawful and caused the teachers to live in fear. When questioned by the defence lawyer, Vhare, however, denied being intimidated by Mazhata and so had no reason to report the accused to the police.
He said he was surprised to be summoned to court to testify against Mazhata.
ZIMBABWE men’s national basketball team coach Addison Chiware was pleased with the performance of his team on Monday night when they defeated Mozambique 67-61 in the opening match of the AfroCan Zone Six tournament being hosted in Harare.
The hosts paraded their star player Vitalis Chikoko, who is based in France. He contributed 12 points with Warren Tegama making 22 points, which was the highest individual score on Zimbabwe’s scorecard.
Chiware was pleased that they finally managed to beat Mozambique who are one of the regional giants.
“I’m very happy with the result and it’s a good feeling when you win against a big opponent like Mozambique. Mozambique is a powerhouse. It is good that we have managed to win which is what we wanted,” he said.
Zimbabwe will take on Zambia in their next match today and Chiware yesterday said his team was in the best condition to take on their northern neighbours.
“We are preparing for the match against Zambia and everything is running smoothly. We have no injuries recorded from the last match and everyone is looking forward to play tomorrow. Following the last performance, we will go into the next match with a lot of confidence, but we know we will be in for a tough match against Zambia and we will not take anything for granted.”
The match against Zambia will be played at the City Sports Centre starting at 6pm.
Chiware said he will employ a different approach to the one they used against Mozambique when they tackle Zambia.
“Zambia is a good team, and we will use different strategies and we hope to also maximise on the opportunities we get in the match .The aim is to win this match again, but we will see what will come out.”
PLAN International Zimbabwe is targeting to educate more than 20 000 marginalised adolescent girls through its recently launched open learning programme.
The Supporting Adolescent Girls’ Education Program (SAGE) is being funded by the United Kingdom Aid (UKAid) and is part of the UK Department for International Development’s flagship Girls’ Education Challenge.
“Over 21 000 marginalised girls and young mothers aged between 10-19 years old who dropped out of school or have never had the opportunity to learn, will now have the opportunity to access to basic education, over the coming five years,” reads part of a statement from Plan International Zimbabwe.
The organisation, which supports the rights of children, said 63 community-based learning hubs had been set up in seven rural districts around the country where adolescent girls would have access to education starting this week.
The organisation said it was working in conjunction with the Department for Non-Formal Education under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and in partnership with Apostolic Women Empowerment Trust, Econet, Open University (UK) and Christian Blind Mission to roll out the project.
SAGE programme manager Obert Chigodora said they had realised that some young girls particularly those in rural areas did not have access to education, hence the decision to roll out the programme in remote areas.
“We have taken a bold stance to move beyond the four walls of the classroom to create a learning space for adolescent girls who are the hardest to reach under normal circumstances and who are always left behind. These include girls who dropped out of school because of poverty or early marriage and those who never have the opportunity to go to school, such as girls with disabilities,” he said.
SAGE, scheduled to run until 2024, is set to expand from seven to 11 districts including Mutare, Mutasa, Chimanimani, Mutoko, Epworth, Mabvuku, Tafara, Northern and Central Harare, High-Glen, Imbizo, Khami, Reigate and Bulilima.
ZANU PF Bulawayo youths on Sunday allegedly assaulted two men, one of them because he was related to a former party provincial district chairperson who quit the ruling party to join the opposition National Patriotic Front (NPF).
Allen Nyamakope and Ashwin Banda, younger brother to Andifasi Banda – the NPF provincial commissar, sustained bruises following the assault by the Zanu PF youths outside the party’s Davies Hall provincial offices.
The two were walking past Davies Hall when Zanu PF youths allegedly assaulted Nyamakope for wearing a red T-shirt, colours they reportedly associate with the opposition MDC.
Ashwin allegedly attempted to apologise on Nyamakope’s behalf by revealing that he was related to the party’s former chair Andifasi, but that only incensed them further.
“They were accused of being MDC supporters and also being related to a sell-out. Why should it be a crime to wear a red T-shirt, let alone defecting from Zanu PF? This is all politically-motivated and my worry is that if they can beat my young brother, what of me who is into active politics?” Andifasi said while confirming the development yesterday. A report was made at the Bulawayo Central Police Station under case number IR 6035/19.
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube yesterday said he was not aware of the case.
“I am not so sure of the case as I have not heard about it,” Ncube said.
Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial spokesperson Christopher Sibanda refused to comment, saying: “Our province was dissolved so I am not commenting on any party issues.”
THE conversation on music genres has recently been a growing issue in Zimbabwe, with a lot of discussions centred on the creation of certain music terms that have become a cause of curiosity.
Urban grooves is a term that came into being in the early 2000s after the 75% local content policy was introduced by the Information ministry. This gave rise to bedroom studios, also resulting in computer-generated music.
There was need to fill up the gap that had been created on the airwaves. A faster music production system was needed, in which the beat producer and the vocalist could make a song overnight for release on radio the following day.
Also, with the worsening economic situation, this was an affordable way of doing things. With a studio microphone and a computer, one would have assembled a whole band. Urban youths worked day-in, day-out on their computers to create as much music as they could. Every genre that had been on radio, among them soul, RnB, reggae, hip-hop, rap and Afro jazz, needed a local replacement.
Quite a number of young musicians like Roki, Mafriq, Sani Makhalima, Tererai Mugwadi, Alexio Kawara, 2BG, Decibel and Innocent Utsiwegota emerged, and had the talent to cover the void that had been created by the new policy.
It is important to note that while this movement was taking place, other young musicians was also creating music, but using bands. They were not labelled urban grooves, and these were the likes of Willom Tight and Dino Mudondo, Africa Revenge, Victor Kunonga, the late Chiwoniso Maraire, including former Information minister Jonathan Moyo’s project, Pax Afro.
Now, I ask again: Is urban grooves a genre or culture? Kawara was once labelled an urban grooves artiste in 2009 after he decided to play with a band at the Harare International Festival of the Arts.
Kawara spent a good number of weeks rehearsing with a band at the Manneberg and after that he never stopped playing with a live band, and the urban grooves label almost vanished overnight.
With this, let’s look at the definition of a genre.
Genre refers to a style or form of art that involves a set of artistic rules. These rules are guided by the similarities in the artistic texture. These fit a certain model flair. In music, the word genre refers to a conventional category that identifies music pieces to a shared practice or set of rules. It is distinguished by form or style.
The musical form encompasses the arrangement of the musical units of rhythm, melody and harmony, showing repetition or variation. It also involves the type of instrument used.
The form of the urban grooves songs is usually closely related. The arrangement usually has an intro, verse, chorus then an outro. But then, this is a tool used in even rock, mbira, soul and other different types of commercial music.
When we come to urban grooves rhythmic styles, we find reggae, dancehall, soul, RnB, Zim-beats and the list goes on. And each artiste sticks to their rhythmic style, meaning they would be dancehall urban grooves or hip-hop urban groove artistes.
Rhythm is a key pillar of defining genre. For example, merely adding the offbeat chops to a song might alter it to be a reggae song and also by removing them, it might cease to be one.
The moment you start playing a swing-drum rhythm on the mbira song Chemutengure, it becomes a township jazz groove. Urban groove does not have a common rhythmic formula.
One typical song is Bhuka Tiende, a mbira traditional riddim (song), where people sing Mugara Ndega or Hurombo played on Buruka Tiende, a mbira song. Thomas Mapfumo puts it on a reggae tip.
Chiwoniso had an afro-house feel to one and on the same song she has a traditional song. With different form and style, a traditional song may fall into different genres, but still with a traditional influence.
We can look at melodies in two ways. First, the melodic formula. How does the melody move? Are they ascending or descending scales? Or are they arpeggio like? There are scales that each genre of music uses. For example, blue and jazz scales usually have five note scales, but also have an extensive use of scales, where sometimes even the chromatic scale is used.
The second way is the style of singing or melodic use. How they interpret the melody, each genre and music tradition is specific. The singer is expected to bring out their voice. In opera, you sing from the diaphragm, giving a wanted tone, in mbira there is extensive use of throat in the vocals, and in some Norwegian folk music, they use the nose.
In urban groves, some are emcees, while others are lead vocalists, but with the voices in use coming from different music traditions.
The harmonic style varies as well. Harmony is usually created from the melody and music traditions surrounding the creation. And if the melodies are not following a consistent formula then the harmony does not as well.
So, what is it that characterises urban grooves? Is it the cultural aspects or the languages that the musicians use? It is almost like the urban grooves culture gave Zimbabwean music listeners a chance to listen to different music genres in Shona or Ndebele. This means a group could take a Wyclfe tune and replace them with their own lyrics and it became urban grooves. This is like saying the Zimbabwean language would have become a key factor in urban grooves.
The second thing pertains to the use of the computer in the creation and performance of urban groove songs. This is another cultural aspect where the advent of the digital world saw the young urban musicians with access to a computer becoming pioneers in this culture.
This means they would perform using backtracks. This became one of the biggest definitions of urban grooves. Does the urban grooves have a band or is just an urban groove artiste?
BaShupi is another example. Before he would use backtracks to perform, he was labelled an urban groove artiste, especially after recording with Stunner. The moment he started playing with a band, then he became an afro-fusion musician.
There are musicians that do not fit into this category because of failure to conform to a number of urban groove considerations, though they still use computer-generated music and preform with a disc. A number of gospel musicians do the same, most probably using similar beats, but are not considered as urban groove artistes.
It then comes to the message. The message also holds a key position, where most songs are about heartbreaks, love, joy and a young reckless life. The content is mostly about youthful adventurous minds and souls. These include songs like Usadaro by Makalima,Waenda by Mugwadi, Chibhugubhugu by Nesto, featuring Kawara, Chido by Decibel and In My Dreams by Utsiwegota.
The top songs are usually about love, either lost, found or that is being searched.
It seems there is a lack of research and education within the Zimbabwean music industry. People get excited and name things how they want because they can. Talent alone will not take you far. For the industry to be successful, there is a need for the artistes and producers to understand the science, business and culture around the industry.
Dancehall and hip-hop in Zimbabwe take their chronological journey, starting from the 1990s straight through to present day. They even benefited from the existence of the urban grooves culture. They were both part of it, but completely different genres. After a while of shaping the form and style, they finally become Zimdancehall and Zim hip-hop.
The use of the term urban grooves for a music genre seems to be a refusal to categorise music by its characteristic genre, but only through cultural configuration. It comes across as music that does not originate from Zimbabwe or Africa. Is it music from everywhere else, or is it a genre? Food for thought: Is urban grooves a genre or a culture?
THE Midlands State University (MSU) has banned the carrying of ballpoint pens, a range of cosmetics, cameras and other objects at its upcoming graduation ceremony as part of security measures, Southern Eye has established.
“Please, be advised that the Midlands State University 2019 first graduation ceremony will be held on July 12, 2019 at the main campus, Multi-Purpose Hall, in Gweru,” MSU said in a notice.
“Please, note that the following items will not be allowed into the graduation venue: Lipstick and perfume containers, sharp objects, knives, ballpoint pens and cameras.”
The banning of such items was introduced in 2017 following an embarrassing incident where former President Robert Mugabe was ambushed by placard-waving graduands at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ).
The UZ graduands were protesting against government’s failure to resolve the country’s high unemployment crisis.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as chancellor of all State universities, who appears to be following in Mugabe’s footsteps by introducing tight security measures, is expected to officiate at the graduation ceremony.
In 2016, MSU graduands and their parents, who had not been served with a prior notice, were subjected to rigorous body searches by State security agents with a range of cosmetics, hair combs, toilet paper and earphones being seized by police officers manning the venue entrances.
During the same year, students at the National University of Science and Technology and journalists covering the graduation ceremony also had their pens confiscated by State security agents.
THE trial of former ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who is accused of fraudulently appointing his personal assistant to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory of Zimbabwe (Potraz) board was yesterday moved to July 16 for trial pending High Court determination on the State’s application for rescission of the judgment.
Mandiwanzira, who appeared before magistrate Hosea Mujaya, was represented by Advocate Thembi Magwaliba.
The former ICT minister is being accused of appointing his personal assistant, Tawanda Chinembiri to the Potraz board. The State alleges that the appointment of Chinembiri was criminal abuse of office because the said assistant was not a government employee.
But Magwaliba dismissed the State assertions during his application for exception of the charges that Chinembiri was not a government employee.
Magwaliba argued that the State in its own outline admitted that Chinembiri was appointed as deputy director and PA to the minister in March of 2015 and his appointment to the Potraz board was in February 2016.
He also argued in court that under the circumstances, the State had no case against Mandiwanzira and proceeding with the matter was tantamount to malicious prosecution and an abuse of prosecutorial authority.
Mandiwanzira had also complained in court that he has not committed any crime, saying the charges against him were a result of political persecution.
He told trial magistrate Elijah Makomo that everything he was being accused of was absurd and he had done everything with the authority of his principals. Mandiwanzira said instead of being arrested, he should have been congratulated for recovering US$30 million that had been fleeced from NetOne.
In April this year, High Court judge Justice Nicholas Mathonsi quashed Mandiwanzira’s charges of awarding Megawatt Company of South Africa a contract without following due process.
