BY SILAS NKALA

A DETECTIVE stationed at Chivhu Police Station was on Saturday fatally shot while in pursuit of an armed robbery suspect, who was wanted in connection with carjacking incidents that occurred in Bulawayo and Kadoma recently.

According to a police internal memorandum, the shooting occurred at midday while a team of law enforcement agents comprising four detectives from Bulawayo and five from Chivhu CID pursued the suspect identified as Musa Denge (43).

“On February 8, 2020, a team from CID Vehicle Theft Squad Bulawayo led by Detective Assistant Inspector Gadza . . . reported at CID Chivhu. The team was on a follow up of information of an accused person Mussa Denge (43) who was wanted for robbery of motor vehicles which occurred in Bulawayo and Kadoma,” the memo read.

“The officer-in-charge CID Chivhu gave the team backup of five detectives to track down the accused person. The team observed the accused person driving a Toyota Wish Silver registration AAF 7378 from town going to Chivhu location.”

The memo states that the team, with one of the detectives armed with an AK rifle, followed Denge to number 10 Chivhu. “The team disembarked from their vehicle in pursuit of the accused person and (the armed detective) was firing warning shots at the same time,” the memo read.

The memo states that the late detective constable who could not be named as his next of kin are yet to be informed was the first to get to Denge and was shot on the pelvis as he was about to grab him.

Denge was arrested and the injured detective was rushed to Chivhu General Hospital where he later died.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the shooting incident yesterday, saying: “It is sad that we have lost a police officer. We are investigating an incident where a police officer was shot and injured during a raid at a house on Saturday afternoon. The suspect was, however, arrested and the police officer was rushed to Chivhu Hospital where he died.”

BY Phyllis Mbanje

The National Aids Council (Nac) Bulawayo provincial manager Sinatra Nyathi has raised concern over the deaths of people with HIV and Aids who stopped taking antiretroviral drugs after being told to do so by faith healers and “prophets”.

Nyathi said the issue was slowing down mitigatory programmes which sought to stem further spread of the disease as well as prolong lives of those infected.

“I was saddened to witness the deaths of about five people who I knew personally who succumbed to the disease after being told to stop medication by their prophets,” Nyathi told NewsDay recently.

“Although Nac has been working with churches in their interventions there remained a big headache (given) the mushrooming of new churches which are led by these prophets and faith healers.

“We are urging people on antiretroviral therapy (Art) not to throw away their drugs. We are currently raising awareness in the communities.”

Although she could not provide statistics on the number of people who have died after defaulting, Nyathi said any death linked to this was an issue of concern.

She also said while they had nothing against prayer, their worry was on patients being discharged from taking medication in the absence of a qualified doctor.

“We are not saying people should not pray, but patients must continue taking their medication as prescribed by their doctors,” Nyathi said.

Defaulting on Art often leads to viral resistance, treatment failure and increased risks of disease progression.

Last year it was reported that about 4 000 HIV positive people in Bulawayo were on second and third line Art after defaulting from the recommended first line regimen.

“There is need for further engagement with the faith-based organisations and impress upon them the need to ensure that those on Art are allowed to do so without any interruptions,” Nyathi said.

Previously there have been many false claims on cures for Aids. In 2018 leader and founder of the PHD Ministries Walter Magaya announced his controversial HIV and Aids herbal remedy, Aguma.

He was widely condemned for prematurely announcing cure before seeking government clearance.

He was subsequently charged with contravening section 40(1) of the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, which criminalises the distribution of unapproved medicines and misleading advertisement of such.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is working towards ensuring that by end of this year, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, receive sustained Art and have viral suppression.

BY EVERSON MUSHAVA

THE deteriorating political and economic climate in Zimbabwe, coupled with the manipulation of the judiciary through constitutional amendments and selective prosecutions are creating a difficult environment for justice in Zimbabwe, an expert has said.

Addressing a third edition of the reparations dialogue organised by the National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG) recently, the lobby group’s reparations and rehabilitation thematic group leader Frances Lovemore said worsening economic and political challenges were threatening the work of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC).

“The risk of developing partisan and exclusionary processes still remains extremely high, until there is genuine political dialogue, any definitive reparation process runs the risk of increasing rather than eliminating the conflict,” Lovemore said.

She was deliberating on the topic, Zimbabwe’s Official and Non-official Experience on Reparations and Rehabilitation.

Zimbabwe has a long history of conflict and violence dating back to the colonial era, with the most prominent being Gukurahundi during which 20 000 people in the Matabeleland and Midlands regions were killed between 1983 and 1987 according to human rights groups.

Failure by government to acknowledge human rights abuses and protect citizens from violence has created a legacy of festering wounds, thereby impeding on safe reparation programmes in the country, Lovemore noted.

Millions of victims of violence in Zimbabwe have been denied access to the truth and reparation process, a situation that resulted in the formation of NTJWG six years ago to lobby for transitional justice, she said.

“The line between victimhood and perpetration is very easy line to cross where impunity prevails, and this is an issue with the State commission (NPRC) should be continually seized with, particularly in the current rapidly deteriorating economic situation, diminished resources and delayed justice.”

Lovemore said the impunity associated with violence against citizens in a country not in an armed conflict has enabled the vicious cycle to continue and escalate regularly when power and access to resources such as land and minerals are threatened.

She said the failure by government to manage genuine reconciliation has diminished citizens’ trust in electoral and civil processes with fear and intimidation remaining tools of repression by the State and non-State actors.

According to NTJWG, physical violence perpetrated against the civilian population by both State and proxies supported by the State structures has encompassed systematic extra-judicial killings of up to 10 000 people, enforced disappearances, abductions of over 7 000 people and organised torture and violence against tens of thousands of people both rural and urban.

Land conflict, Lovemore said, and political conflict as well as mineral resources conflict and access to economic projects have resulted in the precipitation of physical violence often with lethal consequences.

A national programme on reparations, Lovemore said, must be victims-centred to ensure that the victims of State-sponsored and organised violence receive psycho-social support for a good national mental health.

She said to facilitate a real reparation process the use of militia and vigilante behaviour should be outlawed, a genuine political settlement and depolarisation with removal of political competition executed in the legal system and a genuine return to the rule of law with regard to deployment of the security sector in protecting both national and sub-national political power.

The dialogue was also attended by top Columbian reparations expert, Paula Gaviria, who shared the Colombian experience and how Zimbabwe could benefit from it.

Gaviria served as the director of Colombia’s Reparations Programme in the Office of President Juan Manuel Santos in 2012 and managed to conduct what scholars have described as the world’s biggest reparation programme under her tenure.

She said Zimbabwe should adopt a victim-centred approach that is all inclusive.

BY MOSES MATENGA

CATHOLIC Bishops from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi have called for emergency relief and offered “solidarity and spiritual proximity” to the three countries in the wake of hunger, political challenges and other socio-economic challenges.

Speaking after the first consultative meeting of the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe last week in Lusaka, the bishops said the three countries were faced with almost similar problems socially, economically and politically, hence the need for emergency relief in the face of severe drought that threatens millions of people.

“We, the Catholic Bishops in the sub-region express our solidarity and spiritual proximity to the people of Zimbabwe who are experiencing continuing and chronic economic hardships and seemingly intractable governance conflicts,” partly reads the February 5 statement signed by Rt Reverend George Cosmas Zumaire Lungu of Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, Most Reverend Thomas Luke Msusa of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi and Most Reverend Robert Ndlovu of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

“To the people of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe who are experiencing hunger, we call for emergency relief support to the affected population.”

The Bishops also called for peace following the nullification by the Supreme Court of the Malawi Presidential election results and call by the same for a fresh poll.

“We, the Catholic Bishops in the sub-region express our solidarity and spiritual proximity to the people of Malawi who are currently going through socio-political difficulties. We call upon them to maintain peace as relevant institutions are preparing for fresh elections.

“To the people of Zambia; we call for dialogue, peace and reconciliation among political leaders and other key stakeholders.”

There were also calls for prayer for Zambia and Malawi in the wake of loss of life as a result of alleged ritual or witchcraft related deaths.

BY MOSES MATENGA

ZANU PF and the MDC shared the spoils of two by-elections in Mwenezi and Harare.

MDC Alliance lost dismally to Zanu PF in Mwenezi over the weekend with the ruling party’s Samuel Kwinika garnering 1 811 votes in the Ward 15 elections while the opposition candidate Shepherd Dzuda had a paltry 27.

In Kuwadzana, Adnonia Shoko of MDC won the by-election with 1 517 votes against Zanu PF candidate Lloyd Makuwe’s 718.

The opposition MDC yesterday said the by-elections in Harare and Masvingo were an indication of a serious need for reforms because the run up to the polls in both wards was marred by cases of vote-buying and intimidation.

“This tells you that it is not possible to have a proper election even in Harare. People were called to come and collect rice on the day of voting, Zanu PF was drilling a borehole a few metres from the polling station. These are not

elections. It is manipulation of people’s poverty. Weaponising poverty and food and it is the biggest challenge that we have,” the MDC secretary for elections, Jacob Mafume said yesterday.

“You can talk of figures and statistics, they are not a reflection of the people’s sentiments. People in the village are told to vote for Zanu PF for them to get food and secondly, if there is food, MDC supporters are deprived of that. If they vote MDC, they are beaten up after the elections and it is something we should work on to stop otherwise elections will remain useless without reforms.”

“It is politics of the stomach and the stomach is hungry so it is the stomach that expresses an opinion,” the opposition party charged.

Last week, the MDC launched an outreach programme targeted at rural voters.

The launch was held at the Morgan Tsvangirai Houses, the MDC headquarters in Harare and will see Chamisa meeting party structures in most provinces.

Zanu PF leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa also last week and directed his party to be visible in the rural areas, an indication he wanted to solidify control in a key constituent.

“He (Mnangagwa) further directed all ministers, accounting officers and senior officers spend more time with communities in the countryside, implementing and monitoring key government programmes that yield a better quality of life for all citizens,” Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting in Harare.

BY MOSES MATENGA

THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption yesterday said it was investigating allegations of corruption levelled against business tycoons and President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s allies Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Billy Rautenbach and Tafadzwa Musarara by suspended Zanu PF youth league bosses.

Zacc spokesperson John Makamure said Lewis Matutu and Godfrey Tsenengamu filed a report on Tuesday last week with the commission but were told to bring evidence, and that the anti-graft body was investigating the allegations while waiting for more information.

“They came the following day after their first Press conference (last week Monday) and we listened to them. We requested for any evidence that they might have. We are waiting for that evidence,” Makamure said.

“We said they should assist us with any evidence, not to say we are not investigating, we are investigating. If anyone makes a report, we investigate. We request those who file complaints to also assist with evidence. It makes our job easier.”

“We met them, we asked for evidence and we are waiting for that evidence, not to say we are not looking into that issue, no,” he added.

On Friday, Tsenengamu claimed they had submitted evidence to Zacc at a Press conference that was not attended by Matutu.

The naming of the business tycoons as part of the cartels bleeding the country’s economy has shaken the ruling Zanu PF party amid reports that there were some elements in the party who were compromised and benefitting from alleged corrupt activities.

Others said the fight was a factional Zanu PF war hence the divisions that rocked the Zanu PF politburo meeting last week.

Politburo member Christopher Mutsvangwa suggested, at the weekend, that part of the fight was over control of the Feruka oil pipeline and attempts to wrest it from the cartel.

“There is the denial to Zimbabwe of an eponymous financial and logistics service industry as it carters for the sub region. Limpopo and other northern regions of South Africa would be drinking from Mabvuku. Just as traditional clients Congo and Zambia, southern Malawi and central Mozambique,” Mutsvangwa said of the benefits of the pipeline to Zimbabwe if “rescued” from the cartel.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed acting Zanu PF secretary for administration in the youth league, Tendai Chirau said the war against corruption will not be won overnight and needed empirical evidence from those who claim it.

“The youth league remains deeply and heartily perturbed about the calamitous effects of corruption on the national economic growth and recovery. We are genuinely aware of the existence of institutions which are constitutionally mandated to combat corruption such as the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and Special Anti-Corruption Unit to aid the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the National Prosecution Authority and the Judicial Services Commission,” Chirau said.

“It is against this background that the youth league, as a vanguard of the ruling Zanu PF, we petition for perseverance from our patriotic youth since such an arduous fight cannot be won overnight. It must be borne in mind that most corruption cases fail on account of dearth of empirical evidence,” he said.

However, senior Zacc officials told NewsDay that the commission has forwarded over 100 dockets to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which was reportedly sitting on them.
“The criminal justice system has loopholes and this is slowing down how we as Zacc deliver, especially at the NPA, that is where the big problem is,” said a source who refused to be named.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has threatened to fire party legislators and councillors who he says have abandoned their constituencies.

Speaking at Sakubva Beit Hall, in Mutare on Saturday, where he met Manicaland’s provincial district structures, Chamisa said there would be no imposition of candidates in future elections.

Chamisa said he was going to introduce a new criteria of choosing candidates, which will start from branch level, seeking opinion of traditional leaders on upright candidates who should serve constituencies.

“We are strengthening our rural constituencies, this is where we are going to spend most of our time, we need to work very hard on our rural constituencies,” he said
“We are having challenges with our MPs; they are not going to the people, we received reports that our MPs and councillors have abandoned their constituencies since they were voted into power in 2018, we are warning to recall them if they continue to do so,” he said

“We are aware that some MPs and councillors are taking their positions as jobs. We are not employment agents and we are not there to offer jobs, don’t expect to be employed or expect to be deployed by the party,” he said

“So I am warning you that if you MPs and councillors continue not to engage your people we are going to take your positions,” he said

“The MDC is the leading party and Zanu PF is the ruling party, and MDC is bigger that Zanu PF,” Chamisa said, adding that he wants to bring all the party’s veterans into the mainstream politics.

He also added that he wanted the army on the negotiating table.

“We want to bring out all our veterans into the mainstream of our politics, they have played a critical role since the formation of our party almost 20 years ago,” he said.

“As a party we have said no to government of national unity we need a transitional authority; there we can arrange for a credible election. We also want to bring the army on the negotiation table because Zanu PF has been using the soldiers, so we would want to know what the soldiers want,” he said.

“We want the army to serve the people and not to serve a party, that is all we want,” he added.

MOTIVATION: Ashley Thaba

AROUND this time of year, we all reflect on the past year and think about whether we would like to make some changes in the current year. Today I want to focus on how when we look towards the future, we need to let go of the bad and the good of the past.

My outlook on life is generally sunny and optimistic because I have no problems letting go of bad things in my past. I have made deliberate decisions to forgive those who have hurt me. I have trained my mind to focus on positive though tempted to think about the negative. I have chosen to love those who are mean to me. I am not saying I am perfect but these are intentional choices I mentally make on a regular basis.

But, there have been times when I am hesitant to let go of good things in the past. Some would say “oh the good old days when…” Maybe it is a friendship you used to have which has gone sour and you miss those days. Maybe it is a job position that you once held and felt powerful and useful. Maybe it is the early days of marriage that were full of love and happiness. Maybe it is when your kids were little and there was so much laughter around the house and now they are older and would prefer to stay in their room and really don’t care much whether you are in the house or not. There are so many scenarios where we get so caught up in missing what used to be that we don’t create a good life today.

Those days might have been good but you were a part of making them good so you can be a part of making your future good too! Also, let’s keep in mind that sometimes these “harder days” are building us up to go even higher in the future “glory days”.

Let me get personal in an effort to make this practical. I came to Botswana from America 20 years ago. I worked in all the junior and secondary government schools in Francistown in addition to working with the youth at Francistown Baptist Church. I loved it! Everyday I felt God was using my life to make positive impacts in these kids’ lives. Parents would tell me how their children’s lives had changed as they learned more about God and His truths. Youths would testify that they never felt anyone truly cared but now that they had met Jesus, they felt loved. Young men and women would vow that they wouldn’t follow in the immoral ways of their peers now that they understood God’s plan for purity and integrity in their lives. Headmasters of the schools thanked me for the noticeable difference observed since I began teaching the Bible. My life had a purpose and my heart was full of love for the Batswana youth I daily worked with. My days were spiritually fulfilling. I ended up meeting and marrying an unbelievable Motswana man and we went abroad while he studied computer engineering.

After obtaining his degree, we had to make a choice whether to stay in America where he had an awesome high paying job or come back to Botswana, where we knew jobs were scarce and the few that are available at his high level of IT skill and project management are generally hard to get if you aren’t willing to participate in corrupt practices. I knew it wouldn’t be easy financially, but I remembered those “glory days” — those days where everyday I felt like my presence in Botswana somehow made other people’s lives a little brighter. We decided to leave everything in America and return. But, now as a married woman with small children, it wasn’t like I remembered. As a hands on stay at home mom, I struggled to find time to get to the grocery store juggling keeping the house clean, breastfeeding, making meals, nap times, and trying to spend quality time bonding with my children. I yearned for the “glory days” — the days where my life felt like it “meant something”. God kept reminding me that this was a season. I needed to learn to see the beauty in this season and avail myself for the lessons He was trying to teach me. For ten years, I stayed at home full time — homeschooling my children and focusing almost exclusively on allowing God to use me to bless my kids and husband. Honestly, it was a lonely and boring decade because as an extrovert, I like being with people! As an intellectual, I craved stimulating conversation that I was not getting hanging with toddlers all day. As an evangelist, I missed teaching the Bible and sharing the gospel helping others with spiritual enlightenment. About three years ago, God finally availed the chance for me to step back a bit at home and venture more into the professional and public space again. He has opened up tremendous doors that now have me writing this column for five countries each week, being invited regularly for public motivational speaking gigs and now my husband and I have our own television marriage show called Talking with the Thabas, which you can follow on Facebook. I now realise that God had to humble me in those 10 years and train me in ways of marriage and home building so that my ministry reach could be even greater and more effective than it once was.

May I encourage you today — no matter what season you are in, this is the day the lord has made! Rejoice and be glad in it! Seek God first and everything else will fall into place and who knows… maybe your future is going to be brighter than your past if you allow yourself to go through the fire and be refined by the God who loves you and wants to work things out for your good if you will choose to trust Him with your life and walk in obedience to His word and will for you.

Ashley Thaba is a popular life-coach, team-building facilitator and motivational speaker. She is also the author of Conquering the Giants and Dive In. You can view some of her works on her YouTube channel: Ashley Thaba.