BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

LOCAL praise and worship music outfit, Spirit Praise Choir has incorporated 24 new voices following their recent oversubscribed auditions held at Houz of Bruv Studios in Harare.

Choir director Learnmore Tawengwa told NewsDay Life & Style last week that initially they were searching for nine new members.

“We are happy to have started our new year with a successful search for new talent that has joined our Spirit Praise Choir. We had called for all singers, sopranos, tenors and altos to come and try-out their singing expertise and indeed it was an oversubscribed audition,” he said.

Tawengwa said they were bringing in new ideas and new music as well as diversity to help strengthen their brand.

“The brand is growing. Due to our products, One Voice Concert and Worship Moments, we are seeing a lot of people following our progress as shown by the number of people who came to register for auditions,” he said.

“We wanted only nine voices, but ended up taking 24 voices because the registered number was too much given the number of gifts who came. We were left with no option, but to increase the numbers.”

He said as part of artistes’ development programme at a Spirit Praise Choir they give their members an opportunity to feature on their DVD programmes every year.

The choir launched its brand to corporates and stakeholders at a red carpet event held in Harare late last year.

“Understanding what you are called to do, seeing where you are going and knowing where you want to go has always given us the strength to achieve something in life,” he said.

The choir’s productions include One Voice series that has seen them recording two music albums, Yatokwana Nguva and Vatatu Mumwechete and two live DVDs, Worship Moments Series 1 and 2.

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

BEITBRIDGE Municipality has revealed plans to develop a solar farm on land measuring about 100 hectares to ease rolling electricity outages that are being experienced across the country.

Zimbabwe is failing to generate enough electricity to meet local demand, a situation that has seen consumers going for more than 18 hours daily without electricity.

Imports from countries such as South Africa and Mozambique have not eased the power crisis.

The Beitbridge Municipality said it intends to develop a solar farm to not only ensure a steady supply of electricity at the border town, but to also meet its ambitious goal to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2030.

“Municipality of Beitbridge has released an expression of interest as part of a plan to develop a new solar farm project. The proposed solar farm project is planned to be located within the Municipality of Beitbridge farm and generate renewable electricity to meet the (town’s) power needs.

“Municipality of Beitbridge is committed to reducing its net carbon emissions to zero by 2030,” the municipality said in a statement.

Solar energy farms are large-scale commercial power plants that use photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into clean energy, providing a source of safe, locally produced renewable energy for years after construction.

Large solar farms can be built in just a few months — compared to several years for a coal or hydro power plant.

A number of African countries are diversifying their energy sources by going green and investing in solar farms some of which have since been incorporated into the national grid.

Morocco is home to one of the biggest solar projects, Noor Solar Complex, which generates 500MW. It is the biggest concentrated solar power plant project in the world.

“The proposed (Beitbridge) solar farm is one initiative designed to help meet this ambitious goal. The establishment of a new onsite solar farm project to help generate power is one practical way for the municipality to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change,” the municipality added.

“The proposed site is between 67-100 hectares of land to build and operate this plant. Municipality of Beitbridge will lease land for an agreed number of years. Closing date for the submission of expressions of interest is February 14, 2020.”

BY MOSES MATENGA

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has been sent into a panic mode after American billionaire George Soros pledged US$1 billion for a new university network project to fight the erosion of civil society activism in a world increasingly ruled by “would-be and actual dictators”.

Speaking in Davos at the World Economic Forum last week, the philanthropist said he was donating $1 billion to fund a new global network of universities designed to promote liberal values and his vision of an open society.

Soros said humanity was at a turning point and the coming years would determine the fate of some rulers.

“We live at a transformational moment in history. The survival of open societies is endangered and we face an even greater crisis: Climate change,” Soros was quoted as saying, describing his plan of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) as “the most important project of my life”.

He said the initiative will be an international platform for teaching and research that existing universities all over the world would be able to join.

“To demonstrate our commitment to OSUN, we are contributing $1 billion to it,” said Soros in his traditional annual Davos address in which he also took a swipe at US President Donald Trump who he described as the “ultimate narcissist”.

Soros said his project was more needed now at a time open society was at more risk than ever.

But the gesture irked Zimbabwean authorities with presidential spokesperson George Charamba yesterday saying this was targeting to influence regime change in Zimbabwe and other countries perceived as anti-democratic.

“Soros gives $1 billion to fund universities and stop drift towards authoritarianism. This huge amount is meant to subvert world sovereignties, Zimbabwe included. The Hungarian born American has been meddling in Zimbabwean politics at multiple levels,” Charamba said.

He added: “Has he (Soros) ever been a friend of Zimbabwe? Don’t you know the works of (Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa) Osisa? Who funds Osisa? Has it ever contributed to our liberation as a people? So to us it is a war chest.

“He is only criticising America as a way of trying to confuse the gullible. They know essentially that this is a fund for regime change and after all that is why they started. It is there in the records. There is nowhere Soros can be related to any transformation which is meant for global underdogs.

“His altercations with America are just a false dramatisation, (but) in reality he is actually pushing their agenda.”

However, political analysts dismissed government’s paranoia over Soros’ offer.

“George Soros is a well-known global philanthropist who has supported issues of democratisation throughout the world. His foundation has supported human rights and victims of rights abuses, rape and has supported environmental programmes and development programmes. So instead of looking at such initiatives as a threat, I think the Zanu PF government must actually look at such initiatives as an opportunity and find ways to work with such foundations to strengthen the democratisation processes in Zimbabwe,” analyst Rashweat Mukundu said.

“The challenge with such statements (by Charamba) is that he falls within the Zanu PF narrative of always identifying enemies to justify their repression of human rights defenders.
If anyone is then to be associated with the foundation Soros has set up throughout the world, then the labelling has already started on what they call regime change activists who are sponsored by outsiders. But, for me, the world has already moved away from such dichotomy of them and us which Charamba seeks to promote. The world is now multi-faceted and people have to find ways of interacting.”

BY DARLINGTON MWASHITA

A MAN from Njube in Bulawayo has been arrested on charges of stealing a bus parked in Thorngrove after it was involved in an accident four years earlier.

The bus, which had Botswana registration, belonged to a Zimbabwean living in the neighbouring country.

Bongani Dube (41) was not asked to plead to theft charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Lizwe Jamela on Thursday and was remanded out of custody to February 7.

The complainant is Kaiser Dhliwayo Saungweme (68).

The bus was involved in a road accident along the Bulawayo-Gweru Highway sometime in 2015.

Saungweme took the bus to a garage in Thorngrove suburb for safe keeping as it was foreign registered.

It is alleged that between December 2015 and March 2019, Dube approached Jobert Maplanka who had custody of the bus and misrepresented to him that he bought the bus from Saungweme.

He also claimed he had already finalised sale transactions with Saungweme despite the fact the he (Saungweme) was in Botswana.

He went on to show Maplanka telephone calls made to Saungweme as a way of convincing him that the transaction had been finalised.

It is alleged that through the misrepresentation, Dube took the bus which was without a gearbox and stripped it of parts and components.

He also sold the shell to scrap metal dealers.

The total value of the stolen property was approximately US$31 400 and nothing was recovered.

The matter was reported to the police, leading to Dube’s arrest.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has authorised the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) to collect railage charges in foreign currency for exported goods.

NRZ submitted an appeal to RBZ last year seeking permission to be allowed to charge all exporters in foreign currency.

The central bank agreed.

“Please kindly note that in terms of the current exchange control administrative arrangements, where a transporter has shipped goods under the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) basis; the respective transport or railage portion may be received by the transporter in foreign currency,” reads part of the statement signed by NRZ board chairman Martin Dinha, quoting an RBZ letter.

The central bank also asked NRZ to submit a specific application through its authorised dealers to have the necessary exchange control administrative structure for the arrangement operationalised.

NRZ said charging exporting customers in foreign currency was a welcome and progressive development for it.

“With this approval NRZ can now approach its various exporting customers to inform and familiarise them with this new development,” it said.

NRZ said while it has traditionally been collecting foreign currency from customers who are into export business, the foreign currency generated from this source had not been enough to meet needs for repairing its rolling stock and infrastructure.

“The intervention by the central bank is critical for NRZ considering that foreign currency has been essential in funding the organisation in hiring wagons and locomotives from the region to address resource and capacity gaps, hire interchange, as well as procuring spares and accessories for wagons, locomotives and infrastructure maintenance,” the statement reads.

“And at this juncture, the need for foreign currency for the organisation has become huge and urgent especially to hire locomotives and wagons for the movement of imported grains, to alleviate drought induced shortfalls, among communities in Zimbabwe.”

by BRENNA MATENDERE

HOME affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe has promised to deal with corruption in the Registrar-General’s department.

Speaking after touring the Midlands provincial registry and immigration offices on Thursday, Kazembe said officers at passport offices were demanding as much as US$20 to issue people with documentation that would have been produced already.

“Corruption kills our economy and I am warning those who could be involved that the long arm or the law will catch up with you. I am receiving a lot of complaints, a lot of allegations that some people receive messages to say your passport is ready, come and collect,” he said.

“But they say when we go to the passport offices they say the passport is not yet ready. It’s a way of asking for money and then you are told if you can give me US$20, I can facilitate for you to get the passport yet it is there already.”

Officials at passport offices located at Makombe building in Harare have in the past been fingered as being behind the wave of corruption in which they fleece desperate citizens wishing to get travel documents.

At district and provincial offices of the RG’s department, similar complaints have also been recorded.

Kazembe said the reports could not be false.

“There is no smoke where there is no fire. People are accusing us of being corrupt and obviously there is an element of truth in that. I am kindly asking us to be responsible citizens of this country,” he said.

“I am appealing to Zimbabweans, I am appealing to our citizens, if you witness corruption please report it because if you don’t you have taken part. I know we are already doing something about it, we are investigating these alleged cases of corruption. But we are appealing to those who have the information to come forward and assist us so that we can arrest this problem.”

Kazembe was accompanied by his deputy Mike Madiro, Midlands provincial affairs minister, Larry Mavima, and officials from the Registrar General’s Offices.

BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

THE ongoing legal saga involving Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga and his estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa, has lifted the lid on the lifestyle of the country’s rich and powerful who live in the lap of luxury.

Court documents on both the messy divorce case between the estranged couple and that in which Mubaiwa is facing allegations of attempted murder, externalisation of foreign currency and fraud provide an insight into how the country’s second most powerful couple lived easy and in comfort while the majority of citizens wallow in poverty and unrelenting economic hardship.

A string of mansions

In addition to the Borrowdale mansion ta the centre of the divorce case, Chiwenga said Mubaiwa purchased two properties in South Africa while he was hospitalised in that country.

“The respondent had been in hospital for four months, while applicant stayed in South Africa in a house she purchased in Waterkloof Estate. For all intents and purposes, she had moved to South Africa. The house had been furnished and she bought four (4) cars which are still in place. She also purchased another house opposite the one she was staying in,” he said.

When Mubaiwa first appeared in court, however, it emerged during cross-examination that the Vice-President was fighting for part of the properties in South Africa, which the State deemed proceeds of crime.

A fleet of vehicles

In her court papers, Mubaiwa is demanding access to six vehicles — Toyota Lexus, Mercedes-Benz S400, silver Mercedes-Benz E350, black Mercedes-Benz E350, Range Rover Autobiography and another Mercedes-Benz — which she claimed she had been using during the subsistence of their marriage.

Chiwenga, in his opposing affidavit, gave a breakdown of the ownership of the said vehicles which he said Mubaiwa had no claim to, except the Range Rover Autobiography.

“The cars she claims are not hers. Some are State cars, some are respondent’s. She only benefited in using them because of her position then which no longer exists. If any is registered in her name, it can be availed,” he said.

“Again and furthermore I note that he ancillary relief sought is for vehicles and clothes which vehicles do not belong to her but to the State. The certificate of urgency does not state how she acquired and came to own six (6) vehicles belonging to the State, some of which were my package from the army when I left to enter political office.”

According to the Vice-President, the Toyota Lexus belonged to the Command Agriculture programme, the Mercedes-Benz S400 was purchased from the Defence ministry, the silver Mercedes-Benz E350 was given by Sakunda Holdings boss Kuda Tagwirei as an escort for the children and the black Mercedes-Benz E350 also belonged to the Defence ministry, but was given for Chiwenga’s personal use.

Chiwenga argues that it does not make sense for his former wife to demand the said cars as she has her own fleet of personal cars besides the Range Rover. He cites a BMW 7-Series, a red Chevrolet and a Toyota Hilux.

Abuse of State apparatus?

One key thing that has made the divorce saga a fascinating tale is the use of State apparatus in a domestic dispute.

Mubaiwa described Chiwenga’s conduct in that regard as “cowboy antics”.

“I did receive reports to the effect that the respondent, in an act of brazen abuse of the law, was using the army to secure premises and to make off with goods and effects belonging to the two of us. I genuinely thought that given his status, the respondent would not adopt cowboy antics in seeking to achieve whatever remedies he wants,” she said.

She further indicated that soldiers were also used to bar her from accessing her business premises at Orchid Gardens and accused her former husband of seeking to operate above the law by virtue of his political status.

“That the respondent is the Vice-President does not mean that he is immune from the law, or that he is entitled to act as he pleases,” she said.

Mubaiwa noted that since Chiwenga’s return from China where he had gone for treatment, she was not aware of where he had been residing, but only got see him in a brief meeting during which Major-General Anselem Sanyatwe informed her that Chiwenga wanted to end the marriage “and threatened that he would use the full arsenal available to him to deal with me”.

The conflation between the personal and military was so extensive to the point that Chiwenga sent Sanyatwe “to give her a US$100 bill which she declined to accept” because “it is unlawful in Zimbabwe to transact in United States dollars” and proper customary protocol had not been observed.

High maintenance

It is, however, the demands that Mubaiwa is making in the event that the marriage is annulled that perhaps provide a most scintillating view of the life of luxury that she had become used to as the country’s self-styled “Second Lady”.

Mubaiwa is demanding an equivalent of US$2 500 for each child, payment of their entire school fees and all university costs should they proceed to tertiary level.

The other demands are for one international holiday per year at a five-star facility and the equivalence of US$25 000 spending money, one fully-expensed regional holiday and US$15 000 spending money, one fully-paid local holiday per annum and not less than 25 000 per person and an equivalent of US$40 000 a month for her own personal maintenance per month as well as internationally-recognised medical aid cover until her death.

Chiwenga accused his former wife of wanderlust, saying she spent long time away from home.

“Applicant even before this period would spend long times away from home leaving the children to the devices of the maids and myself. She would travel for days to South Africa,” he said.

Voodoo and the occult

Although some of the country’s rich and powerful have been associated with the use of voodoo and dabbling in the occult, it appeared this did not spare the Vice-President’s household.

In his court papers, Chiwenga said when he took the children on holiday, he discovered that they could have been traumatised by the occultic practices they witnessed their mother dabbling in.

“I took them on holiday abroad and initially they had signs of trauma as they explained the black magic rituals they were subjected to by the applicant. The various tools of trade for the witch doctors which were unexpectedly left behind by applicant after her arrest told a horror story,” he said.

“My clothes in some instances were heaped together and sprayed by applicant with some unknown substances. I had to take the children away to cleanse memories of the horrors they experienced.”

Chiwenga said as proved by a medical affidavit filed alongside the other court papers, a doctor had established that Mubaiwa required psychiatric care and hinted she could have been affected by her alleged abuse of illegal substances.

“The doctor concluded that she (Mubaiwa) should be under the care of a physician, a surgeon and psychiatrist. It is indicated she has flashbacks, suffers from lack of sleep and has difficulties in breathing, symptoms of illicit drug abuse,” he said.

He further noted that some of the claims made by Mubaiwa in her court papers could be indicative of the said mental instability.

“This is an insult to the person of the Acting President. I have done nothing to warrant such adverse comments. I off course do not get surprised since the applicant requires some mental adjustments or perhaps rehab,” she said.

In response, Mubaiwa said the drug addiction claims were false and only meant to prevent her from getting custody of her children.

“Defendant denies that she is a drug addict and pleads that the children were under her exclusive care for long periods of time without any adverse consequences on them and it is denied that the children’s best interests would be served by custody being awarded to a sickly absentee parent who is more in hospital than out,” she said.

Perhaps the clearest indication of how things had turned sour in the marriage is encapsulated in Chiwenga’s sentiments that marrying Mubaiwa “was the worst mistake I made”.

“This was due to the cunning behaviour she employed to secure a place in my life. She needed moulding but I later found out you could not teach old dogs new tricks,” he said.

BY TAPIWA ZIVIRA

A SHORT queue has formed outside a supermarket in Sunningdale, a supposedly middle-class suburb in Harare.

Behind the supermarket, a truck is offloading bags of mealie-meal, a commodity that recently became part of the long list of products that are in short supply in troubled Zimbabwe.

Maize meal supplies dwindled last month following government’s reinstatement of a subsidy on the staple product and the situation has been made worse by the drought the country is experiencing.

While the country has had a command agriculture programme that was expected to boost grain reserves, the scheme has been marred by reports of looting, corruption and mismanagement orchestrated by its very own proponents.

In the end, Zimbabwe, formerly self-sufficient, has become the beggar in a region that is experiencing considerable growth.

With the late former President Robert Mugabe having been fingered as the reason behind the country’s woes, it appears the not-so-new administration led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured) since 2017 has not done any better and, if at all, there has been nothing but promises of Canaan as the economic, political, human rights and social services situation continue to deteriorate.

So, as 2020 begins, it appears Zimbabwe’s problems are not limited to maize meal shortages.

Shortages of fuel, water and electricity have persisted despite earlier government promises that stability would ensue.

Worse still, the country’s currency problems continue and with the black market being reportedly driven and fuelled by top government officials, inflation has peaked to 521% and continues to rise.

Companies continue to shut down, and only this week, it was reported that one of the oldest wholesale chain, Bhadella, was shutting its doors, in what proves the “open for business” slogan by government is nothing, but a joke.

The effects of the country’s crisis have also manifested in the education sector, and government’s response to schools and colleges intending to increase fees in accordance with inflation have been predictable and not helpful.

By tightly-regulating fees and barring increases, government has left schools with no capacity to meet their obligations, leaving some schools having to beg for donations from parents.

Universities have deferred the February intake in what reminds many of the 2007/8 crisis.

Teachers and medical practitioners are discontented and like all other civil servants, their salaries have been eroded by inflation to about US$50 a month.

With the economic crisis eating into the population’s incomes, and as cash shortages persist, machete-wielding gangs have become the latest result of the country’s bedlam.

With reports of people being maimed in mining areas and robbers resorting to the use of machetes, government continues to make high sounding proclamations that the police are dealing with the menace.

However, because of their reported strong links to some government officials, MaShurugwi, who are behind the machete wars, may not go down easily.

Far from the city, villagers in many parts of Zimbabwe are starving, and in areas like Mwenezi, hundreds of cattle have so far died due to drought.

For a government that has made lofty promises but has fallen far short in fulfilment, the situation that Zimbabwe is in these early days of 2020 proves how difficult the year is likely to be.

This week, the United Nations (UN) reported that Zimbabwe’s economic outlook was gloomy.

According to the UN, the country’s economy shrank by 5,5% in 2019 and was expected to further shrink by 2,5% this year.

The UN attributed the shrink largely to foreign currency shortages, increased public debt, and uncontrolled inflation.

However, now known for false promises over the past few years, the Zimbabwe government has predicted a 3% growth in 2020 and this is despite renowned economists having said the contraction could be by more than 10%.

With this huge mountain of problems, the people of Zimbabwe can only brace for a turbulent 2020 considering that government appears to have no solution and has continued to go for priorities that prove how uncaring it is to the plight of Zimbabweans.