BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA

CHIREDZI will hold another by-election in less than two months, after the passing on of ward 16 councillor Emmanuel Nyathi on Sunday afternoon.

The last by-election was held in November last year following the resignation of Andrew Ndebele (Zanu PF), who was voted for in the July 2018 harmonised elections. Ndebele resigned in June last year due to poor health.

Zanu PF retained the Chiredzi South ward 12 council seat after Anold Rukanda defeated John Mazhata (MDC Alliance) in a by-election.

Chiredzi Rural District Council chairperson, Edward Matsilele, said Nyati died on his way to Collin Saunders Hospital in Triangle on Sunday.

“We have lost a dear friend, a brother and a father. As you know we held our last full council meeting while he was in Harare where he was seeking treatment.
As council, we would like to express our deepest condolences to the Nyathi family and the people of Ward 16,” Matsilele said.

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial spokesperson Ronald Ndava said the party had lost a great cadre.

“As a party, we feel we have lost one of our trustworthy councillors. During his time we never heard any cases of diverting of even a single grain of government inputs like some councillors do.

“We will be with his family in these trying times,” he said, adding that Nyathi will be buried today.

BY PATRICIA SIBANDA

THE increase in the number of stray donkeys and scotch-carts in Victoria Falls town has irked residents who have taken the local authority to task to deal with the domestic animals and their owners as they can cause traffic accidents.

Villagers from surrounding areas bring manure and firewood for sale in animal-drawn scotch-carts into the resort town and let their donkeys graze in the town.
Victoria Falls Residents Association chairperson, Morgan Gazza Ncube said they were seized with the matter.

“We have tried to ask them not to let loose their donkeys into town because accidents are bound to happen due to that,” he said.

Former Victoria Falls mayor Nkosilathi Jiyane said people from Monde, Sizinda and Chidobo brought manure in donkey-drawn carts in the resort town and council police should drive them away.

He said council should engage the owners of the animals and urge them not to let the donkeys loose.

A resident, who refused to be named, said: “As you know Victoria Falls is a resort area of which there are many tourists who visit the place. Roads are always congested, hence you will find that donkeys will be standing in the middle of the road. The animals are stubborn and it’s very hard to get them off the road, therefore, road accidents are likely to occur.”

Town clerk Ronnie Dube said he had not yet been approached over the issue.

BY SILAS NKALA

NINE Beitbridge villagers who were resettled at the Jompembi Farm in the district in February 2001 have filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court seeking the eviction of the owners of the wildlife conservancy run under Denlynian (PVT) Ltd and Trans Limpopo Carriers (PVT) Ltd companies.

Denlynain (Pvt) Ltd and Trans-Limpopo Carriers managing director Ian Ferguson runs the Denlynian and Tamari Wildlife conservation on sub-division lot 7A and remainder of Lot 8 Jompempi Block.

Ferguson bought the land 35 years ago and transformed it into a wildlife conservancy.

The Zanu PF-linked villagers, Milton Ndou, Mithiabo Sebata, Bigboy Ndlovu, Julius Mbedzi, John Maluleke, Percy Ndou, Rambelani Choeni, Ntshavheni Ndou and Joel Muleya filed summons saying Denlynian (PVT) Ltd and Trans Limpopo Carriers (PVT) Ltd were refusing to vacate the farm.

The villagers through their lawyers from Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers prayed that the respondents be ordered to pay costs of the suit.

The villagers submitted that on February 23, 2001, government acquired the land in terms of the Land Acquisition Act Chapter 20:10 and they were resettled on the farm on August 12, 2004.

They said despite being given notice in terms of section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act, the defendants and all those claiming occupation through them had failed, refused and neglected to vacate the properties and as such they were seeking their eviction.

However, on January 16, Denlynian (PVT) Ltd and Trans Limpopo Carriers (PVT) Ltd through their lawyer Kholwani Ngwenya of TJ Mabhikwa and Partners filed their notice of opposition to the summons at the same court.

BY SILAS NKALA/VENERANDA LANGA

WAR veterans and other members of the public will soon be able to express their opinions on the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Bill, which is currently at First Reading Stage in the National Assembly amid erosion of the current gratuities of ex-freedom fighters by inflation.

Next week, the Levy Mayihlome (Umzingwane MP Zanu PF)-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs will gather views during public hearings on the Bill.

ZPRA Veterans Association says it has already begun mobilising its members and other war veterans to attend the meetings.

The committee will be at Bulawayo’s Entumbane Hall on January 29 from 9am to 12 noon and will proceed to Nketa Hall from 2pm to 4pm.

ZPRA Veterans Association secretary-general Petros Sibanda on Monday said they will hold a meeting on January 26 to look into the draft before the hearings.

“On the welfare issue, we want it to be clear whether we fall under the Welfare or Defence ministry. At the moment, it is not clear and the Bill must clearly state the position. On the composition of the board of the veterans, it must be clear as to who will be chairing and it must be chaired on a rotational basis by both the Zpra and Zanla and this must be included in the Bill,” he said.

“Zpra and Zanla must be apolitical, because it is clear that some of the war veterans end up being used by politicians. Yes, individuals are independent to belong to any party but organisations must be independent to avoid being used as political tools. The Bill must clearly state this.”

Sibanda said the liberation war hero status must be given to someone when he or she is still alive, adding that housing and land issues and development in the allocated area must be included in the Bill.

If passed, the Bill has economic implications as there have been suggestions that war veterans want pensions that are equivalent to those of retired army majors, as well as gratuities that will be paid to war collaborators.

The Bill seeks to compensate war collaborators (mujibhas and chimbwindos) who participated in the liberation struggle and defines them as “any person who had at least attained the age of 16 years by December 31, 1979, and who in the period between 1975 and February 29, 1980 consistently and persistently was closely linked with the operations of the liberation war fighters through different activities”.

By NQOBANI NDLOVU

THE Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has assured residents over the safety of its foul-smelling water after being inundated with complaints from panicky residents fearing for their health.

There have been complaints over the smell of the water that the local authority has been pumping into ratepayers’ homes at a time when council is implementing a 48-hour water-shedding programme.

BCC health services director Edwin Sibanda confirmed the developments, but said the water did not pose a health hazard.

“Of late, there has been concern about an odour within the water system but as health services department, we monitor the water quality specifically for the bacterial content that is likely to be associated with diseases as well as the residual chlorine.

“So far, our water is safe. We admit that there could be an odour or two, but this is not a threat to human life,” Sibanda said.

This comes after the council embarked on major refurbishment works at its Criterion Water Works and reservoirs to improve water quality.

In July, council was forced to switch off water supplies for more than a week to facilitate the rehabilitation of the Criterion Water Works under a Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP) funded by the African Development Bank.

“When we monitor water for potability, that is suitability for human consumption, what we are mainly concerned with is the chlorine and the bacterial content.
The other parameters would have been cleared at Criterion laboratory as well as other laboratories outside,” Sibanda added.

“We have 100 sampling points within the city and samples are taken twice a month. Since 2011, we have collected lots of samples and less than 4% of those samples have proven to be unsatisfactory. Those unsatisfactory points are re-sampled within a very short time to prove that whatever unsatisfactory state is not persistent and we notify the engineering department to actually rectify the challenge.”

The council has already decommissioned two of its six water supply dams Umzingwane and Upper Ncema over dwindling water levels.

Over the weekend, council warned it would be forced to decommission another dam in the next three weeks if no significant rains were received soon.

BY CHARLES LAITON

THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) recently landed itself in trouble after refusing to settle a US$370 000 debt opting to pay off the same in local currency, a move that has prompted an international firm to attach the broadcaster’s property.

ZBC has since filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court seeking an order to stay the sale in execution of its property by Optma Sports Management International t/a OSMI.

According to ZBC’s corporate secretary Patricia Muchengwa the issue started sometime in November 2018, when an order by consent was granted by High Court judge Justice Clement Phiri in favour of OSMI in the sum of US$370 000 together with interest.

In terms of the consent order, Muchengwa said the parties agreed that ZBC would settle a portion of the judgment debt being US$110 000 through peak advertising time, which was to be availed to OSMI on or before December 15, 2018.

“In terms of the order by consent, the applicant (ZBC) would settle a portion of the judgment debt in the sum of US$260 000 over a period of seven months by way of monthly instalments of not less than US$20 000 beginning on or before November 30, 2018 with the first instalment being for US$30 000. The instalments would be payable into an account nominated by the first respondent (OSMI)’s legal practitioners, which would be supplied to the applicant,” she said.

Muchengwa further said pursuant to the consent order and following ZBC’s failure to comply with the terms of the order, a writ of execution was issued against her firms’ movable goods on July 1, 2019 and consequently, the goods were attached and seized by the sheriff on September 5, 2019.

The secretary also said pending the date of removal, the parties engaged each other and agreed that in accordance with the law and in light of their discussions before Justice Phiri, the national broadcaster would continue paying the judgment debt in local currency at a rate of 1:1 and that execution would accordingly be suspended.

“The applicant duly paid off the judgment debt in the total sum of $260 000 (local currency) and has availed peak advertising air time to the first respondent in respect of the remaining portion of the judgment as per order by consent. I attach hereto a reconciliation statement showing payments in the total sum of $172 000 which were made towards the judgment debt,” Muchengwa said.

“Notwithstanding the above payment, the first respondent has proceeded to instruct the sheriff of the High Court to proceed with the removal of the applicant’s property on the basis that the judgment debt is in United States dollars and has not been extinguished. The removal date is January 15, 2020 and thus the matter cannot wait.”

By Phyllis Mbanje

Striking doctors have effectively ended their near five months industrial action after the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors Association (ZHDA) yesterday urged all its members to take up the cash offer made by Econet Wireless founder Strive Masiyiwa’s Higher Life Foundation (HLF) to improve their working conditions.

The Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) also said its members met on Monday and agreed to upscale from offering emergency services to include the urgent cases, which could not be assisted all along.

Striking junior and senior doctors had in November turned down offers to be paid $5 000 monthly by Masiyiwa and his wife, Tsitsi, through their HLF.

But in a rare show, the ZHDA yesterday issued a statement urging its members to apply for the offer of training fellowship before the stipulated deadline.

“The ZHDA remains eager and committed in engaging all the responsible authorities and interested parties in finding a long-lasting solution to the doctors welfare, to the working conditions in hospitals for the benefit of our patients,” the doctors said.

A source said once the doctors have signed up, they would resume duties.

Senior doctors, on the other hand, said last week they met Acting President Constantino Chiwenga, who expressed his commitment to a holistic approach in handling their issue.

However, the SHDA said issues that caused the incapacitation remained unresolved.

“In view of the persisting shortages, relatives are expected to actively take part in the care of their loved ones through the purchase of drugs and sundries from time to time, including some drugs that are ordinarily hospital-based and not found in general pharmacies,” the senior doctors said.

“Some complicated surgeries and other producers requiring sophisticated equipment shall remain suspended until such a time equipment is availed.”

BY MOSES MATENGA

HARARE City Council has threatened legal action against Zanu PF, government departments, parastatals and other entities owing the local authority more than $1 billion in unpaid rates.

Council is owed more than $1 billion by Zanu PF, National Social Security Authority, National Railways of Zimbabwe, among other entities and residents.

Other debtors that top the council debtors’ list are Norton and Chitungwiza municipalities.

A debtors’ list gleaned by NewsDay shows that a company identified as M&S Syndicate (Pvt) Limited, with its address given as Rotten Row, Zanu PF, Harare, owes the local authority $1 189 768 in unpaid water bills.

“We are engaging them and, in fact, we have set up a team doing rounds. We have made an agreement to have letters sent to all the political parties and churches owing council money to come up with a plan. Every political party owing us must pay so that we can provide services to people, its members included,” mayor Herbert Gomba said.

“So every political party must pay or else we will be resorting, if engagements fail, to the courts. They should give us our money so that we provide services. Every political party failing to pay us has no right to criticise us because they are not playing ball.”

Zanu PF officials have criticised the opposition party councillors for failure to address perennial water challenges and to provide basic services, including refuse collection.

Walter Magaya-owned Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries Church, is also yet to pay close to $400 000 and the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport owes $101 250 000.