SIX lucky Zimbabweans are set for a life-time experience and could witness celebrated American hip-hop sensation, Austin Richard Post, known as Post Malone, perform live at the Ticket Pro Dome at this year’s edition of the Castle Lite Unlocks concert set for June 17 and 18 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

The selected Zimbabweans will be flown to Mzansi on a VIP experience package courtesy of Delta Beverages through their Castle Lite brand for two nights of extra cold enjoyment.

Delta Beverages brand manager Kundai Mawema confirmed that six Zimbabweans would be part of this year’s edition of the concert, which she said would be a bigger and better two-day music experience.

“Dubbed as one of the continent’s most sought-after events, Unlocks, the brand’s ultimate music experience is back and this year it promises to be the coldest hip-hop experience to ever hit Africa,” she said.

“Castle Lite Zimbabwe fans were given the opportunity to be part of the Unlocks experience, as the brand hosted a series of three road to unlocks events in Gweru, Bulawayo and Harare in a quest to find six lucky winners of the all-expenses paid VIP experience to Unlocks, courtesy of Castle Lite Zimbabwe.”

Mawema said this year’s Unlocks concert would comprise of a one-day hip-hop conference.

“As this massive regional brand continues to grow and evolve, this year the brand unlocks a bigger and better experience for its loyal fans, as they will be immersed in all things hip-hop, culture, fashion and innovation in the ultimate two-day music experience,” she said.

“As we draw closer to the event, be sure to follow our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CastleLiteZimbabwe as we begin to unlock our six lucky winners. Watch their journey unfold as they build-up to an experience of a lifetime with the coldest, most premium and progressive brand around.”

THAT it is now more than one-and-a-half years since former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo was arrested in dramatic fashion at the height of a coup that toppled ex-President Robert Mugabe, speaks to the efficacy of Zimbabwe’s justice delivery system.

Newsday Comment

Because, at the time of his arrest, Chombo was painted as one of the many “criminals surrounding” the former President, the nation should have by now forgotten about him, having since been thrown behind bars for a long time.
But alas, Chombo is still among us; and as his case becomes stale, so has the essence of his arrest paled away into insignificance.

But his continued hogging of the limelight is beginning to raise eyebrows and inadvertently shining the spotlight on our Judiciary.

Chombo’s case is intriguing and an excellent case study for a doctoral thesis zeroing in on the functionality of our justice system.

November 14, 2017 is the exact date when Chombo was arrested by the military as Mugabe was placed under house arrest. Charges mainly centred on fraud dating back to 1997.

Despite successfully applying for bail on December 14, 2017 — exactly a month after his first arrest — Chombo was re-arrested. And the charge: Wearing Zanu PF regalia without authority.

The proper wording of the charge was “criminal nuisance”. This was after photographs of him and two other colleagues — who were also arrested in November 2017, went viral on social media.

In the photographs the accused were wearing caps emblazoned “ED” and “Kutonga Kwaro”. Late January this year, a warrant of arrest was issued on him after he failed to appear in court to answer to charges of “unlawfully” wearing the Zanu PF regalia.

And with the drama around Chombo showing no sign of abating, last month the former minister’s passport was theatrically seized by State security agents at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport as he was about to leave the country for a medical check-up in South Africa.

This is where we are now with the long-running and seemingly endless case of Chombo, now ailing. Despite having been given back his passport by the courts, it boggles the mind what exactly is happening with our justice system.

We now have a person who was charged, but never tried and is being denied the right to seek medical help abroad.

Why has Chombo’s case taken this long to be dealt with? Meanwhile, it is getting murkier as new dimensions keep popping up almost daily.

Is Chombo’s case still to do with justice or it is now a political game by some bent on settling political scores? We understand Chombo may have several properties dotted around the country. Can the State not seize them all if, as it fears, he does not return from his medical sojourn to South Africa?

If it’s about politics, then we are afraid to say that this case could end up damaging the reputation and general image of our court system.

Chombo’s case can easily dissuade some potential investors, who may end up questioning the efficacy of our Judiciary.

Added to this whole drama is the issue of human rights, which we have hardly scored well since independence. We sincerely believe that the merry-go-rounds on Chombo and his ilk are not helping us at all as a nation. The case is effectively destroying all the goodwill that may still be out there.

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday came face-to-face with Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Peter Mutasa, who faces a charge of trying to unseat the former through unconstitutional means.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

Mutasa is also threatening a fresh wave of demonstrations over the deteriorating economy.

Under fire from the failing local currency and an economy in a tailspin, Mnangagwa’s government is increasingly uneasy after Mutasa and the main opposition MDC have threatened to engage in peaceful demonstrations to force the government to act.

Mnangagwa, while officially launching the Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TNF) after signing the TNF Bill into law early Tuesday morning, told labour to shun stayaways.

“In the second republic, let us shun the culture of militancy, disharmony and demonstrations. We must develop greater understanding of each other’s perspectives,” he said .

Accused of repression to silence labour and civil society following the arrest and brutal assault of labour leaders, including Mutasa, Mnangagwa’s tone appeared conciliatory.

“Differing positions must be permissible within our country. However, these must never divide us or result in conflict. Violence must never be used as a tool to gain temporary advantage at the expense of the people we must serve and protect. That old and retrogressive culture will only serve to widen our fissures and exacerbate our socio-economic challenges and further delay the prosperity that our country so much needs and our people deserve,” he said.

In an effort to curb high prices and erosion of purchasing power, Mnangagwa said his government was looking at models which would lock value on workers’ salaries.

“(In relation) to the performance of the labour market and the current erosion of the value of salaries and wages by the unjustified price hikes, … (there is) need for more realistic and sustainable pricing models,” he said.
The ZCTU leader applauded the statements by Mnangagwa, saying the military and police should take heed to the calls by their leader.

“I think the President, when he said no to militancy, violence and disharmony, he was talking to the military and the police. It is them who have been bringing violence against labour and the people of Zimbabwe and it is our hope that they take heed to the calls to stop repression against the workers. We have no force and have no capacity to bring militancy to the government,” Mutasa said.

He said the suffering workers would now use the TNF to negotiate for currency reforms because salary negotiations were not yielding any results.

“If we negotiate and get say a 100% salary increase, prices of goods will go up. It is not salary negotiations that matter at this point. We now need currency reforms. So we are going to push through the convenor of the forum to meet the governor of the Reserve Bank (John Mangudya), the Minister of Finance (Mthuli Ncube), so that we have a currency reform agenda in play,” Mutasa said.

The ZCTU also insists that without a political solution, the economic crisis will continue, saying the TNF would raise those issues to ensure that the ruling Zanu PF party engages with the MDC, led by Nelson Chamisa, to bring an end to the economic malaise.

Mutasa said if negotiations failed or there was a deliberate attempt to slow down the process, workers retained their right to demonstrate, as enshrined in the Constitution.

TNF will allow government, labour and employers to sit on the same table and make binding legal agreements on social issues affecting production and labour.

ZIMBABWE and the European Union (EU) yesterday kicked off their first formal dialogue in 17 years, which Harare hopes will thaw frosty relations and lead to resumption of direct aid to its battered economy.

BY OBEY MANAYITI

But the southern African nation faces pressure to improve its human rights record and agree to critical political and economic reforms.

Zimbabwe has had a chequered history with the bloc under former President Robert Mugabe’s nearly four-decade rule.
The EU imposed sanctions on some of the country’s leaders and several State-owned firms over alleged human rights abuses.

Mugabe constantly denied the allegations and regularly referred to the EU as colonialists and opined that the sanctions were responsible for Zimbabwe’s economic collapse.

The EU now only maintains the sanctions on Mugabe, his wife Grace and the Zimbabwe Defence Industries, a State-owned arms manufacturer, but has not provided direct aid to Harare since 2002, preferring to channel the funds via local non-governmental organisations and United Nations agencies.

At the talks in Harare, Zimbabwe’s delegation is being led by Foreign Affairs permanent secretary James Manzou and the EU by its ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen.

Olkkonen said the discussion focused on investments, human rights, rule of law, democracy and development co-operation.

“Against this background, we are looking forward to discussing and exchanging views on a number of important issues of common interest, ranging from economic development, trade and investment, to climate change and its humanitarian impact, to human rights, democratisation, rule of law and good governance as well as development cooperation, migration and regional and international co-operation,” he said.

Olkkonen emphasised that the dialogue platform must be made on equal footing and discussions must be frank through free exchange of views.

“The government of Zimbabwe has been clear that significant political and economic reforms are necessary for the benefit of its people. The EU is there to support Zimbabwe move ahead with its reform agenda. In this, we want to be a constructive, credible and transparent partner,” he said.

Manzou said he was convinced that a strong foundation for frank discussions on all issues had been laid.
He added that in their closed-door engagements, they should never be afraid of tackling hard issues as they endeavour to build bridges and find a common ground on sticky matters.

“This event, that brings us together, marks another milestone in the government’s re-engagement efforts and, indeed, in the strengthening of relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union,” Manzou said.

“As you are all aware, re-engagement, and particularly re-engagement with the European Union, is one of the foreign policy priorities of the government of Zimbabwe.”

Manzou, who was accompanied by other permanent secretaries from various ministries such as Lands, Justice and Finance, said the country was already making strides on some of the issues of concern.

“As we will discuss today and in the future, the government is already making significant strides in political and economic reforms that are key to creating a conducive environment for business and more importantly to improving the lives of the people of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“Through this formal dialogue, we at the officials level have been given the task to come together as equal partners and jointly find ways of strengthening relations between Zimbabwe and the European Union.”

Various ambassadors from EU member countries, among them France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Belgium, are participating in the discussions.

Shunned by the West and international lenders, Zimbabwe is struggling to deal with its worst economic crisis in a decade.

The Bulawayo business community yesterday snubbed the Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) Bill public hearings, with less than 30 people attending.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

The Portfolio Committees on Industry and Commerce as well as Foreign Affairs International Trade were in Bulawayo yesterday, conducting public hearings on the ZIDA Bill, but only a handful of people was in attendance.

The Bill seeks to establish a one-stop shop for investors by repealing the Zimbabwe Investment Authority Act, the Special Economic Zones Act and house them under the ZIDA Act.

Committee chair Kindness Paradza expressed disappointment with the poor public turnout.

“We thought Bulawayo was going to be overwhelmed, and we thought the Large City Hall was going to be full. Also, considering that Bulawayo is the industrial hub of Zimbabwe and that it’s a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), we thought we were going to see a large number of people here, including the city council,” he said.

“We are disappointed that there are very few people here. We would have loved to see many people in Bulawayo.”

Bulawayo Polytechnic principal Gilbert Mabasa said: “It is unpardonable that the team that is coming to Bulawayo to get opinion is more than people who should give that opinion.”

Mabasa also blamed the event organisers for failing to advertise the event adequately.

Meanwhile, those who attended the hearings said different departments in the one-stop-shop should be empowered to issue out consolidated permits within a short period of time.

Others said the Bill should incorporate the tourism sector in Bulawayo under the SEZs.

The Bill should also ensure that all investments coming into the country would benefits the locals.

On SEZs, Bulawayo City Council’s economic development officer, Kholisani Moyo, said the Bill should look at two models — sector-specific and area-specific models.

Another participant, Calvin Manduna, said the Bill should make Zimbabwe more competitive compared to other countries.

Licensing arms of agencies, including the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Environment Management Agency, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, Companies Office; National Social Security Agency, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and State Enterprises, including other ministry departments would be integrated under ZIDA.

TWO MDC activists were reportedly abducted by suspected State security agents in Gokwe early Tuesday morning and their whereabouts were still unknown last night.

BY BRENNA MATENDERE

MDC Midlands provincial spokesperson Takavafira Zhou confirmed the development and identified the missing activists as Prince Paradza and Edify Vushoma from Gokwe Central.

A missing persons report was made at Gokwe Police Station.

Sources told Southern Eye that last weekend, the two had an altercation with individuals suspected to be State operatives who accused them of pulling down President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s campaign poster during last year’s elections. The poster was pasted at Gokwe centre bus terminus.

“During the altercation by their tormentors, the two MDC activists were given four hours to either replace the poster or disappear. We strongly believe that the threat has been put into action,” said one source.
Zhou also concurred with the source.

“The duo was falsely accused of removing Mnangagwa’s poster and was given a four-hour ultimatum. However, they politely indicated that there were not the ones who had pulled it down and so they could not replace it,” he said.

The opposition spokesperson highlighted that the poster in question had, in fact, been pulled down by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission officers ahead of the 2018 elections since it was in the vicinity of a polling station.

“As a legitimate party that has chosen to change government through the ballot box, MDC is perturbed by the abduction and harassment of its members who are not in any way a security threat … our activists must be immediately released from unlawful detention and harassment,” said Zhou.

He also pointed out that human rights violations should be avoided at a time the government was trying to go back into the community of nations and emerge from economic doldrums.

“Zimbabwe, which is at crossroads at this critical juncture, does not need such unpalatable violations of rights of innocent citizens, but respect of the dignity and inalienable rights of law-abiding citizens. We appeal to the powers-that-be to reign in renegades masquerading as Central Intelligence Officers,” Zhou said.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was yet to get a briefing on the matter.

“I am not aware of the case, can you talk to Inspector Joel Goko the spokesperson for Midlands, he is on the ground perhaps he can shed more light,” he said.

However, Goko was unavailable for comment.

…Munetsi on verge of Ligue 1 switch

WARRIORS star Marshall Munetsi has struck gold after agreeing to join French topflight side Stade Reims at the beginning of next season, while Belgian side Zulte Waregem have also tabled an offer for the midfielder.

BY HENRY MHARA IN DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

Impeccable sources told NewsDay Sport that the Orlando Pirates player, who turns 23 this month, has agreed personal terms with the French club and is expected to sign a contract soon.

“There are many teams across Europe who have shown genuine interest on him, but he has picked Reims,” the source said.

“He is heading for France. The deal is almost done and barring unforeseen circumstances, he will be playing in French Ligue 1 next season. His handlers have met with the club officials and they have agreed terms. Reims are now talking to Munetsi’s club Orlando Pirates.”

Reims are in the France top division and finished eighth on the league table last season, 11 points short of a Europa League spot.

The Reims-based club thrashed PSG 3-1 in the last match of the season.

They are home to a number of Africans that include Moussa Dombia (Mali), Hassane Kamara (Gambia), Jacques-Alaixys Romao (Togo), Abdul Rahman Baba (Ghana), Yunis Abdekhamid (Morocco), Edouard Mendy (Senegal) and Ghislain Konan (Ivory Coast).

If the deal is finally sealed he will follow in the footsteps of Benjani Mwaruwari and Harlington Shereni who played in the France top division.

Munetsi is currently with the Zimbabwe national team at the Cosafa Cup tournament in Durban, South Africa, a tourney the Warriors are using as part of their preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals to be played in Egypt later this month.

But the utility player, who plays in midfield and in defence, missed the team’s quarter-final match against Comoros on Saturday after asking to be excused from joining camp to sort out his future.

He only joined the rest of the Warriors squad on Sunday in Durban.

Another source said Munetsi, whose stature is likened to the Ivory Cost legend Yaya Toure, is also being tracked by a number of other European clubs.

Belgian side Zulte-Waregem have reportedly shown genuine interest and are ready to gazump Reims for the player.
A medical examination has already been booked for the player in Belgium and the club wants the player to travel to the European club soon after the Warriors friendly match against Nigeria in Asaba on Saturday.
His air ticket has since been secured for the Belgian trip.

But Munetsi’s handlers, according to sources, have asked for the medicals to be conducted in Egypt where the Warriors will go soon after the Nigeria friendly, ahead of the Afcon finals tournament.

“His handlers feel that allowing him to leave for Europe during this crucial period of Afcon preparations will distract him in a big way. They have asked for the club (Zulte-Waregem) to travel to Egypt and do the medicals there. The club is determined to have the player and have been trying to convince him. They are phoning him almost on a daily basis. They want to better the offers that have been tabled by the other teams. Zulte-Waregem has started negotiations and Munetsi’s agent will meet with Orlando Pirates today (yesterday) to discuss the deal,” the source added.

Munetsi refused to comment on the reports, saying he wants to focus on the Cosafa and the Afcon competitions.
If the move to Europe materialises as expected, it would be a huge jump in the flourishing career of the player who was playing in the lower divisions a few seasons ago.

Munetsi played for Friendly Academy and Blue Rangers before he was signed by South African National First Division side FC Cape Town in July 2015. The team released a statement saying he was “in the mould of a typical Yaya Touré. Big‚ strong‚ mobile and a good passer of the ball”.

He was signed by Orlando Pirates in 2016 who loaned him to Baroka FC for a season.

Munetsi was recalled by his parent club in 2017 and has been part of the squad since then, playing regularly and caught the attention of coach Sunday Chidzambga.

And after impressing at last year’s Cosafa Cup where he helped the team clinch the title, he was drafted into the team for the Afcon qualifiers.

Again, he played an integral part as the team booked their ticket to the Egypt Afcon finals set to kick off in just over two weeks.

A lot is expected from him and his teammates with some suggesting that this squad is Zimbabwe’s golden generation at the Afcon finals.

Zimbabwe are in Group A, together with hosts Egypt, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The Warriors will open their campaign with a tough match against Mo Salah’s Egypt in the tournament opener on June 21.

Population Service International (PSI) recently donated several menstrual cups and sanitary pads during belated Menstrual Hygiene Day commemorations held at Heyshott Primary School in Mazowe District.

BY VANESSA GONYE

The day is commemorated on May 28 every year.

PSI sexual and reproductive health technical director, Stephano Gudukeya told NewsDay on the sidelines of the event that the Heyshott community was the first to benefit from the free menstrual cups distribution which is set to be rolled out across the country.

“Cups will be distributed through the Concession New Start Clinic and right here the officials from the clinic will teach beneficiaries how to use them and demystify certain myths before distributing. Particular questions will be asked to identify the deserving beneficiaries,” he said.

“We will then embark on a distribution programme in June (this month) to Mazowe, Mutare, Makoni, Chipinge, Bulawayo and Gweru. We will target mostly communities that have less-privileged girls from 15 years old to 24. However, we are not just going to limit it to girls, but we will also target mothers. The cups are reusable, safe, easy to use and cheap looking at the 10-year period one is able to use them. You just need US$15 to buy it.”

Mvurwi town secretary Sheri Nyakudya commended the initiative.

“This is, however, a drop in the ocean. We need more teachings around menstruation because the (Mazowe) district is too big. I hope it is going to extend to other local authorities. This day challenges us all to think about the plight of women, especially adolescent girls and the young as they go through this non-optional phase in life,” she said.

Swedish Embassy’s head of development co-operation Mette Sunnergren reiterated the need to stop the stigmatisation of menstruation.

“We have to break the thinking that it’s a taboo and the stigma so that everyone knows it’s a natural process such that they go to school without being ashamed or getting harassed,” she said.

PSI commemorated the menstrual hygiene management day themed #NoMoreLimits with support from various stakeholders that include the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Menstrual Health Specialist Trust and the Family Health International (FHI360).

Dendera musician Sulumani Chimbetu thrilled fans during the commemorations at Heyshott’s soccer pitch.

Dancer Brenda “Subaru” Kaseke of the Wandiona Entertainment Dance Group and its leader Ruvarashe Muchero spiced Sulu’s act with energetic dances.