GRAPPLING with rampant inflation, unabated foreign currency shortages and a drastic energy crisis, Zimbabwe’s gold production in 2019 succumbed to pressure and eased for the first time in a decade.

— Equity Axis News

Up until 2018, Zimbabwe’s gold production has been on a roll, rising in 10 straight years to reach a highest of 33,2 tonnes in 2018, as artisanal miners anchored production following formalisation of their activities.

Gold production for 2019 was 17% below that of 2018 coming in at 27,6 tonnes. The dearth in gold production is largely attributed to economic challenges mainly on the monetary side, which entrenched in 2018, before the currency overhaul in 2019.

Likewise, power shortages deterred production at big mines which on average produced less in 2019 compared to the prior year. The biggest gold mine in Zimbabwe, Caledonia’s Blanket Mine recently flagged power challenges as one of the major risks facing its business in Zimbabwe.

Side-marketing, particularly at small-scale mines and artisanal operations became rampant as miners chased top dollar for their produce.

The challenges emanating from retention ratios which entailed miners receiving their proceeds in Zimbabwe dollars at 1:1 when in essence prices of goods in the economy were rising meant real value was being lost.

An attempt at redoing the retentions earlier last year, did not help much, with reprieve only coming through once the interbank became functional. Miners could partially recoup value as they would receive the Zimbabwe dollars portion of their sales proceeds at the interbank equivalent of their US dollar (USD) sales.

Further deterioration of the Zimbabwe dollars against the USD and the widening disparity between the interbank rate and the parallel exchange rate, however, lowered the preference for retentions, thus promoting side-marketing.
Likewise, the general economic downturn made doing business much tougher, forcing some players to scale back on production.

Riot police officers move to the first floor of the building after searching the basement. [Pic: Ronald Magweta]

BY BLESSED Mhlanga

HEAVILY armed police raided the MDC headquarters yesterday evening armed with a search warrant for machetes and other dangerous weapons, but left empty-ended according to party lawyers.

MDC deputy spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka claimed the raid was part of a Zanu PF ploy to plant dangerous weapons in the party offices and later clamp down on its leaders.

“As we speak they are flooding into our headquarters in line with their cheap and dastardly ploy to plant machetes in a vain attempt to portray the MDC as a criminal organisation. Zimbabweans know better that it is Zanu PF that is behind MaShurugwi and all the violence in the country. This illegitimate regime is going to laughable extents to expose itself,” said Tamborinyoka.

Part of the search warrant read: “From information on oath, that there is reasonable grounds of believing that there is possession of or under control of occupiers or upon in Harvest House or Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House certain articles that is to say machetes and any subversive materials, which are concerned or on reasonable grounds believed to be concerned in the commission or suspected commission of a crime.”

MDC lawyer Gift Mtisi said the police found nothing during the raid, but indicated that feedback would be given by their superiors.

“They said the feedback will be given through Police General Headquarters (PGHQ). They searched and left,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the MDC had issued a statement claiming they had picked intelligence of the raid ahead of time.

“We have gathered from impeccable sources within the regime that the police intend to siege Morgan Richard Tsvangirai House today in a desperate bid to plant machetes and justify their unwarranted crackdown on the party’s legitimate activities. They are on a desperate witch-hunt and are frantically seeking to portray the MDC, the people’s party, as a rogue organisation,” the party said.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commission Paul Nyathi could not be reached for comment last night.

This is not the first time police have raided the opposition party’s headquarters in search of “subversive material”.

The raid came as MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has vowed to go ahead with his planned party meeting at Mai Musodzi Hall in Mbare, Harare on Tuesday, with or without police clearance. The opposition leader plans to use the occasion to launch the party’s programme of action for 2020 following a police clamp down on its activities since last year.

On Thursday, MDC organising secretary Amos Chibaya met the party’s Harare provincial leadership, districts and the youth wing for a mobilisation and strategic planning meeting ahead of the planned Mbare rally.

“We are not pulling any stops, for now it’s all systems go. The president (Chamisa) will deliver the party and national 2020 agenda,” he said.

“So we have activated all our structures to mobilise so that we have a bumper crowd. All our Harare provincial and district leaders attended the meeting because this time the address will be delivered.”

Chibaya said the MDC had noted with concern that police were employing bullying tactics by deploying heavily at its party offices.

“They want to use the show of force to scare us, but we are a party of peace and therefore not deterred by heavy police deployments. Maybe they have come to realise that the MDC is the home of the legitimate president so they are providing him with security,” said Chibaya.

The police have since denied targeting the MDC, saying they are only doing their duties of protecting all Zimbabweans and maintaining peace and security in the nation even for the benefit of the MDC.

The MDC said although they were yet to be given the green light to host their event Tuesday, they met with the police on Thursday and all appears to be on course.

“We are yet to be cleared, but we met them yesterday (Thursday) and we agreed on a lot of things, everything seems okay, but with those guys, you never know, you just never know,” Chibaya said.

However, government has warned Chamisa against being confrontational.

Early this week, Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi warned Chamisa that he would be arrested if his intention was to overthrow an elected government.

“No one is above the law and as such the law will catch up with him if he tries to behave in a manner not befitting his position as leader of the opposition. We will not fold our hands and allow him to continue with his sinister agenda,” he said

“There are many opposition leaders who have tried this and failed in many countries. In many countries like Venezuela, Uganda, Kenya and many other countries the opposition has tried to dislodge popular revolutionary parties without success. Chamisa needs to learn from those examples.”

Guest Column: Tendai Ruben Mbofana

Of late, I have been quite irritated by my smartphone’s maddeningly frequent demands for me to upgrade its system at times, as little as only two days after my last upgrade. What I, however, found very interesting is every new upgrade’s claim to “fix bugs” — so-called “debugging” — that is, to identify, correct, and remove defects, in the previous system.

Typical of my mindset, I always soon found myself comparing this to how we, in Zimbabwe, still try to “debug” our government — particularly, through criticism of its destructive and anti-people policies, or proffering advice on how it could improve its operations and the country’s welfare.

Nonetheless, what has become so clear to me is that, after 40 long years of continual bungling and messing up — through persistent unfettered and systemic corruption, institutionalised incompetence, and inherent brutality — it is now foolhardy for anyone to expect any genuine, sustainable, and significant reform from this government’s modus operandi, such that any manner of “debugging” is a lost cause. As with any computer system that has become too corrupted to be fixed — the only reasonable and progressive action to take would be its complete replacement.
Period. Similarly, this Zimbabwe government is way beyond any fixing, and the only way forward is its complete replacement.

The only question that should be on the people of Zimbabwe’s minds should no longer be how to fix this system of governance, but rather, how to completely replace it with a modern, more effective, trustworthy, and truly democratic one.

This, of course, requires national debate, and consensus but, as a law-abiding, patriotic, and loyal citizen of this great country, I firmly and unequivocally stand by the tenets of constitutionalism, and democracy — as anything else is certainly a recipe for disaster.

That is why — as much as I fully understand and empathise with everyone who has had to endure 40 years of untold suffering, anguish, and torment at the hands of this cold-hearted, kleptomaniac, and dysfunctional regime — my viewpoint has always been for us to desist from narrowing our struggle to only an individual.

That is the grave mistake that landed us in these troubles we find ourselves in today under this so-called “new dispensation” — as we myopically reduced our plight to only one man, then President Robert Gabriel Mugabe — instead of focusing on the replacement of the entire system. We found ourselves engrossed in such simplistic slogans as, “Mugabe must go!”, yet our problems transcended any one individual, but captured the entire system of governance — such that when the coup d’etat of November 2017 occurred we were ready pawns in this purely internal ruling Zanu PF party factional fight, thereby supporting and celebrating the debugging of one problem, and its replacement with another similar problem. Yet, what was clearly required was the complete replacement of the entire corrupted system.

Today, we find ourselves crying out, “Nothing has changed”! Of course, nothing has changed. Why would anything have changed, when we blindly endorsed the continuation of the same old outdated, antiquated, contaminated, and dysfunctional system?

In fact, that is why we are even further saying, “The situation has actually become worse than before”. Yes, it has — and it will only get worse! These days, we are inundated with mostly unverified online stories about another possible coup d’etat in the country — this time around with the rumoured planned removal of incumbent President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (himself a product of the coup against Mugabe), by his Vice-President Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga (the mastermind and ring leader of that same coup).

I cannot help wondering why this renewed excitement in the possibility of the recurrence of such a catastrophe — which, quite obviously previously never worked to the ordinary people’s benefit?

If, indeed, another coup were to take place today, are we to find ourselves back onto the streets again singing, dancing, and waving the Zimbabwean flag? Are we to allow ourselves again, to be gripped by a false and misguided sense of renewed optimism for a better, more prosperous, and democratic future?

Then, a few months down the line, reality sets in. Again, we repeat the same expressions of regret, “Nothing has changed”, or, “The situation was actually better under ED”, or, “At least under ED we had such and such”! Did we not learn anything? Do we ever learn? Let it be abundantly clear to all Zimbabweans that the hope for a brighter and better future for this country does not lie in piecemeal changes in the country’s ruling establishment. It does not lie in debugging one or two things within the current system. The situation has long since deteriorated beyond such mediocre measures. After 40 whole years of corruption, incompetence, and brutality, the system is beyond repair or fixing.

The government can replace a political appointee like Patrick Chinamasa, with a technocrat and internationally acclaimed financial wizard in the mould of Mthuli Ncube, but this will never improve the well-being of the ordinary Zimbabwean. We can be relentlessly bombarded with endless mantras, such as “Zimbabwe is open for business”, or “Vision 2030”, or “Upper middle income economy by 2030”, but as long as this outdated system is still in place, nothing will ever change. The people of Zimbabwe may converge around the table with the government, discussing and sharing all manner of economic blueprints, strategies, and plans — yet, these would be nothing better than patches on a torn trousers, which would never make it new, as acquiring a fresh pair would be the only reasonable way forward.

This also includes the now popularised issue of “talks” between the two main political parties — Zanu PF and the Movement for Democratic Change — or, the current house-play between the government and some pseudo-opposition parties (who embarrassingly and dismally failed to garner any significant votes in the 2018 harmonised elections.

As the saying goes, “One cannot put new wine in old wine skins”, the days of trying to fix this obsolete system are long over — as only a bona fide imbecile can ever dream of anything positive coming out of such. Zimbabweans do not have the luxury — in time, energy, and resources — for misguided, ill-conceived, and misconstrued hallucinations that this government is redeemable — while, the country burns, and millions of people wallow in unending and increasingly toxic abject poverty.

Let us no longer waste our time figuring out how to push, or assist this government to function better — but, rather, we now need to do what we should have done a long time ago.

Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist, writer, author, and speaker. Please feel free to contact him on mbofana.tendairuben73@gmail.com.

Devotion Column: Erasmus Makarimayi

THE Gospel of Jesus Christ, for example, the Grace of God announces to hearers and delivers to resultant believers and partakers the finished or accomplished work of Jesus Christ. The wholesome package is complete needing no addition to it. It carries all of the Godhead in the Man Christ Jesus who resides in the hearts of believers. What you receive when you confess Jesus as your Saviour and Lord isn’t a half-baked product. At rebirth you don’t receive a percentage or fraction of Jesus but the whole of Him.

Our salvation is total, containing everything pertaining to this life and the hereafter. You don’t get born again and start searching for other sources for such things as healing, peace, etc. While you may be sick, healing is inside you. As a born again believer, you search the Scriptures and discover what you received in Christ and enjoy. We pray that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened and that the Bible materialises in us.

Salvation ushers eternal life. Eternal life isn’t temporary but forever and ever. It’s unbreakably everlasting. This life isn’t human attainable but delivered to us by the grace of God. It’s unearned, undeserved and unmerited. We don’t get eternal life by self effort or human works of righteousness. The sacrificial death of Jesus was well pleasing to God the Father. It’s on this premise that we have fellowship and communion with God. Jesus Christ fulfilled the will of God and in Him we’re in the will of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:7 points out: “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” In Christ, we’re complete and confirmed. We require no other human establishment or confirmation. As we grow in our learning we discover things already established before the foundation of the world. What already is revealed to us when we continue in fellowship with Him.

We’re confirmed. We have inner peace because of the assurance of Christ in us. The witness or testimony of Jesus Christ is established in us. 1 Corinthians 1:6-7 record: “Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:” All the gifts and Christ’s anointing are available to us awaiting our discovery by revelation of the Scriptures. The graces of God are stimulated by our desire. Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:1: “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.” Proper and correct teaching inspire us to desire what the finished work of Jesus Christ made available to us.

Salvation carries us from death to life. As born again believers our life is intrinsically Christ’s life in our hearts. This is the eternal security of the believer. In Christ we don’t fall short. 1 Corinthians 1:8 settles: “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Surrendering to Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Lord and Saviour results in us receiving His resurrected life in us. This life has conquered death and, therefore, is eternal for example everlasting. Since Christ is in heaven, our eternal redemption is assured. This is our confirmation to the end of the ages. You grow and discover more things, while you’re safely anchored on the surety of God’s faithfulness. As soon as you received Jesus Christ, you were eternally confirmed. The confirmation isn’t some earthly human ceremony, but the finished work of Jesus Christ.

As a New Testament believer you know it’s ordained in Christ. Galatians 3:17 records, “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ. Furthermore, Galatians 3:15 fixes, “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man’s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.” You’re confirmed, you’re established. The Christian hope rests on the reality that Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption and declared that it’s finished. In Him, we’re blameless. You’re innocent and guiltless. Let’s consider 1 Corinthians 1:8 quoted above from the Amplified version. It reads: “And He will establish you to the end, keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be, guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).”

You’re confirmed. As we close, please say this prayer of assurance; Abba Father, I thank you for confirming my salvation in Christ Jesus and declaring me innocent before you in Christ. Because of your assurance, I pursue my dreams fully aware that I lack nothing and that I am a giant not a weakling. In Jesus’ name I am established. Amen.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.

All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.

Feedback: pastor@newgatechapel.org Fellowship with Pastor Makarimayi on Facebook and on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI.

SUCCESS LIFE: Jonah Nyoni

WE live in a globe that is uncertain, fast, culturally diverse and volatile. As a result, that seeks competitive, capable and versatile corporate leaders to guide the ship and stay afloat. The late leadership guru, Warren Bennis (1989: 112-113) in his book Why Leaders Can’t Lead said: “The fact is that there are so many predicaments, too many grievances, too many ironies, polarities, dichotomies, dualities, ambivalences, paradoxes, contradictions, confusions, complexities, and messes…”. This requires intuitive leadership. As a leader, to find yourself on the forefront of change and success, there are things that you should embrace. This applies to both corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.

Be more

As business grows in global markets, we have seen the emergence of unlikely leaders. In the past, they might have been called psychopaths, but now they lead in their own right even if they have not been designated. You talk of Mark Zuckerberg of the Facebook, Bill Gates of the Microsoft and Richard Branson of the Virgin Airlines. They don’t stand as ordinary managers, but news making leaders. Again, Warren Bennis (1989: 45) in his book, On Becoming a Leader, gave significant juxtapositions between leadership and management.

“The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager is a copy; the leader is original. The manager maintains; the leader develops. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective. The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. The manager has his eyes always on the bottom line; the leader has his eyes on the horizon. The manager initiates; the leader originates. The manager accepts the status quo, the leader challenges it. The manager does things right; the leaders does the right thing”

Stay competitive

Being pro-active is one characteristic that keeps the leader upbeat and leading the game. The leader evades being irrelevant by growing himself, especially through learning, listening, looking and linking. As a leader, you should bring remedies to new plights! Be innovative and creative to keep yourself competitive! Arie de Geus said, “The ability to learn faster than your competitors, maybe the sustainable competitive advantage.”

Eye the next bounce of the ball

The information and technology industry will prove to us that what was useful yesterday, could wake up obsolete today. As leaders, we should be amenable to change and have an eye for change. To every traditional leader, the frank truth is that change is inevitable. An all-time classic quote by Eric Hoffer (1898-1983) says, “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists”.

Results speak

Your results as a leader can never lie. Results don’t come coincidentally but by an action. To start off a great destiny, plan your work, and then work your plan. To every effect there is a cause, whether good or bad. The most failures or problems we see today are in most cases caused by a human phenomenon that is what we normally call a “leadership crisis”. For me, that’s the worst disease that could ever infect any company, church or country.

Embrace integrative complexity

The law of integrative complexity says that an individual (despite the background and the circumstantial surroundings), that “integrates” and “uses” the greatest amount of information in any field soon rises to the top of that field. According to Brian Tracy in his book 21 Success Secrets Of Self-Made Millionaires, when you read for an hour every day, it translates to a book a week. One book a week translates to 50 plus books a year.

Fifty books a year adds up to 500 books in 10 years. This makes you gain a competitive edge over all others who are living by. As a leader you become a pro in any field of your choice. Most people hardly finish reading just a single book in a year.

Embrace learning agility

The times are turbulent, treacherous, tough, trying and taunting to those who don’t want to adopt and adapt. The leader has to be willing to quickly adopt new tools, techniques that are relevant in solving complex problems, in confronting new hurdles and facing new challenges of our times. The leader has to constantly and continually be developing, growing and using emerging tools.

Cashman (2013) in the Forbes says that “learning agility is a key to unlocking our adaptation proficiency. It is “knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do.”

Research shows that learning agility is a reliable indicator of leadership potential because learning agile people “excel at absorbing information from their experiences and then extrapolating from those to navigate unfamiliar situations.” Learning agility is a complex set of skills that allows us to learn something in one situation and apply it in a completely different situation. It is about gathering patterns from one context and then using those patterns in a completely new context. In short, learning agility is the ability to learn, adapt, and apply ourselves in constantly morphing conditions.”

Tim Casasola, (2016) in an article The Most Important Trait Leaders Need For the 21st Century, says that to have the learning agility, you are:

“Innovative: You aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo. Performing: You stay calm in the face of difficulty. Reflective: You take time to reflect on your experiences. Risking: You intentionally put yourself in challenging situations. Open-minded: You resist the temptation to be defensive and listen.”

Read seasons

Every leader should learn trends in seasons. Some corporates thought business would always be a boom for them, but forgetting that new season are coming; seasons that will change the consumption taste of the consumers. Great leaders don’t only wear jerseys in winter and stay indoors, but they see an opportunity to go skating and snowboarding and receive their rewards thereby. Producing a product whose season has passed is not only bad, but it’s a shear waste of resources and time. In seasons of harsh and hard times leaders derive lessons. In every obstruction, they choose to see and instruction. In times of plenty, they stock-up for the dry times ahead. They are enormously ready to embrace any situation with a positive attitude.

Pass on that baton

A transformed leader is not afraid to be succeeded. Leadership success is possible when we appreciate that the word “success” is inseparable from the word “successor”. Read that again! A leadership and management guru, Peter Drucker said, “There is no success without a successor”. But why are some leaders afraid to surrender the reigns to the other people? They think they are irreplaceable. They also suffer from insecurity, ego, and they think they are the only ones able to do it best. Allow others to lead in your place and that happens when you have empowered others. Empowerment does not end with passing skills and mindsets.

Parting Point: Linda Proctor in her Earn it & Enjoy It says: “Look around. The world is definitely changing, and it will never be the same again. Power is slipping away, disappearing from some circles, and reappearing in others.
Countries, companies and individuals who have held the power in the past are quickly losing it, if in fact they have not already watched it melt in their hands. Their often smug, sometimes selfish, domineering, complacent attitude has cost them dearly. They are confused and this confusion is frequently fuelled by their own ignorance.
When that happens it ultimately leads to anger or resentment – sometimes both. This negative energy is then quite frequently misdirected, possibly at their loved ones, which then causes an entire new set of problems.”

Jonah Nyoni is an author, success coach and certified leadership/business trainer. He is the author of Inspiration for Success and Success Within Reach.

Guest Column: Paidamoyo Muzulu

CHIPINGE is some small district in the south east of Zimbabwe, on the edge of the Mozambican border, well known not for its scenic environment, cooler temperatures or the tropical rainforests of Mt Selinda, but made infamous by the practice of dark arts.

Sekuru Chinengozi and Sekuru Ndunge have become household names across Zimbabwe, and for some unexplained reasons among Zimbabwe’s political elites.

Stories of swanky, sport utility vehicles treading the dirty, red clay soil of Chipinge are common.

What they seek from the men and women of dark arts remains a secret. Speculation, however, is abound that many travel there to seek fortune or power to lead the country at some point.

Zimbabweans for the second time in less than five months have had a small window to peep into the lives of the rich, powerful and famous politicians’ beliefs in the dark arts. Stories that send blood-chilling sensations, stuff for horror movies.

Only this week, Zimbabweans were introduced to the cults within one of the most powerful couples post-Robert Mugabe era — the Chiwengas (Constantino and Marry) via their ongoing acrimonious divorce at the High Court.

The retired army general has accused his wife of nine years of practicing witchcraft, performing rituals that he claimed have left their three minor children traumatised. Marry denies the allegations.

In his previous life, it was Chiwenga who faced the same allegations from his estranged wife, Joycelyn. There was accusation that the general then kept a coffin in his house and dabbled in black magic.

The public was denied the riveting divorce proceedings when the powerful general applied for a gag order against the media.

It looks certain that after all the dust has settled, the divorce may once again be held in camera, but for now, the circus continues.

Zimbabweans are still wondering about the late Mugabe’s instruction to his wife, Grace, that she was not supposed to leave his coffin unattended until his mortal remains were interred.

Some concluded that Mugabe was sadistic and enjoyed seeing other peole grieve, but his nephew let the cat out of the bag when he told the media — they were afraid some senior politicians would perform juju rituals on the Stateman’s corpse.

Grace stayed with the coffin for three solid weeks as the burial site was debated between the family and government.

The family, in a clear signal of their anger against the November 2017 military coup and subsequent ridiculing statements from the Lacoste faction — insinuating Mugabe was a sellout, snubbed the national shrine for a private family burial at his rural home in Zvimba.

It is an open secret that there is a general who does not officially stay with a wife and does not sleep on a bed.
Despite all his fortune and power, he still rolls on the floor each night because of suspected rituals.

A few years ago, a whole Cabinet, with more than five holders of doctorates, was duped by one Rotina Mavhunga, a traditional healer, who claimed she had found pure diesel oozing out of Maninga Hills in Chinhoyi.

The who-is-who in the security cluster went there, including current Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, to appease the spirits. Not one thought about the scientific creation of carbon-based fuels.

Mugabe in his last five years in power even accused then VP Joice Mujuru of witchcraft by consulting traditional leaders to find out if she was going to succeed the ailing leader. The episode caused her to lose her job, and resulted in declining political fortunes.

There is speculation surrounding ghosts at National Heroes Acre and some rituals performed in the dead of the night far from the prying eyes of the citizens.

Many families still do rituals at the graves of their loved ones and seek guidance from the dead.

Another case of suspected juju is the mysterious “black dog” that was responsible for the death of several Zanu PF leaders after Independence in 1980.

Some leaders became so afraid such that they would not drive their own vehicles.

However, after all is said and done, it can be argued that most political leaders in Zimbabwe are spiritual — believe in traditional healers or prophets.

While visits to traditional healers have been done in the dead of the night or mostly incognito, the fact remains, they believe in dark arts.

It surprises many that even though politics is scientific, our political leaders are spiritual. They believe in the bizarre and supernatural.

They consult traditional healers and prophets more often than they would read a book on development or governance.

Everything to them is spiritual. No wonder celebrity prophets and traditional healers have become obscenely rich.

For now divorces in Zimbabwe have given us a rare glimpse of the hair-raising rituals the political leaders engage in, the cultic practices and how they use their spiritualism to rise in their political careers.

Karl Marx could have been right when he wrote: “Religion is the opium of the masses.”

This has received new backing from scholars like Yuval Noah Harari, who in his book Homo Deus argues how spiritualism and myths are important in human lives.

However, he argues science is turning humans into man-god and scientists are close to defeating death and become immortal.

For now, with Sekuru Chinengozi and Sekuru Ndunge having joined their ancestors in the world yonder, Chipinge may have lost its lustre as the hunting ground for politicians, but that they are still consulting traditional healers is a fact.

Paidamoyo Muzulu is a journalist and writes here in his personal capacity.

Editorial Comment

IN our Friday edition of NewsDay, we carried a story where Zanu PF was reported to be shortlisting graduate teachers to undergo some form of compulsory political orientation at the Herbert Chitepo Ideological School as a pre-condition for joining the public service.

Although there is nothing wrong in moulding citizens that are sold out to the cause of their nation through the concept of patriotism, it becomes worrisome when the ruling party takes a leading role in a programme that is supposed to be led by government.

This Zanu PF-State conflation has been outed as the chief cause of the deep-seated polarisation that has rocked our country since independence, and needs to be nipped in the bud if we are to truly become one nation.

After the National Youth Programme failed to attract significant buy-in from the youth, it is quite unfortunate that Zanu PF thinks its desire to “orient” teachers through the Chitepo Ideological School before deployment is going to work. Patriotism can never be a Zanu PF project. It should be a national project that transcends narrow and parochial party interests.

The fact that the “orientation school” is housed at the Zanu PF headquarters, and that the party is particularly targeting graduate teachers who are members of the party and are set to undergo a “basic orientation course” debunks the notion that it is a national programme.

It is our hope, however, that this programme will not be used to ensure that only Zanu PF-linked graduate teachers will be able to secure employment on the basis of their political connection.

Opportunities for teaching should be availed to all qualified teachers regardless of their political affiliation.
The fact that the party will submit these names to the Public Service Commission raises a stink.

This can be deemed as interfering with the teaching profession, and could be an attempt to punish teachers aligned to the opposition as government has often accused the educators of colluding with the opposition and influencing students in that regard. These are practices that should be condemned to the dustbin of history.

The Zanu PF government should instead be seized with issues to do with improving teachers’ salaries and working conditions, rather than seeking to “orient” or “re-orient” grown-up graduates desperate for jobs.

Sean Williams

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

ZIMBABWE cricket has not been at its best both on and off the field since the national team’s failure to qualify for last year’s ICC World Cup in England and the suspension by the ICC over alleged government interference in the administration of the sport.

The country’s senior national team and their Under-19 counterparts will, however, try to put all those forlorn experiences behind them when Zimbabwe’s hectic international cricket schedule sets into motion today.

Zimbabwe’s Under-19 cricket team gets their ICC Under-19 World Cup underway in South Africa today, 24 hours before a new look Chevrons side seeks a fresh start when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of the two-match Test series at Harare Sports Club tomorrow.

Having last featured at Test level during a tour of Bangladesh in November 2018 which ended deadlocked at one-all, Zimbabwe will be aiming for a positive return to the longer format of the game during the Test series against a strong Sri Lankan side.

The series against the sixth-ranked Indian Ocean Islanders will signal a new beginning for the Chevrons, who last week included five uncapped players in their 15-man squad as they begin life without their former captain Hamilton Masakadza and opener Solomon Mire, who both retired from international cricket last year.

All eyes will also be on the new Test captain Sean Williams as the talented all-rounder seeks to strike a good balance of individually leading the team from the front while also being the on-field tactician.

The elegant left-hander’s job, however, will not be any easier after strike bowler Tendai Chatara was ruled out of the Sri Lanka series having sustained a bicep injury, while former vice-captain PJ Moor was omitted from the squad.

Williams, though, can take comfort in the knowledge that his other key players — attack-leader Kyle Jarvis and batsman Brendan Taylor — have performed well domestically, while the trio of Craig Ervine, Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva will also provide the much-needed experience.

While the focus tomorrow will be on the Chevrons as they seek a new beginning, the future of Zimbabwean cricket will be on show when the national Under-19 side takes on Bangladesh in their opening Group C match at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom, South Africa, today.

After beating South Africa and New Zealand while challenging India in the recent Quadrangular tournament‚ the Prosper Utseya-coached Under-19 team will be quietly confident of reaching the Super League (quarter-finals) stage of the competition.

In the group phase, Zimbabwe will play against Scotland and Pakistan, respectively, on January 22 and 25 after the campaign opener against Bangladesh.

After the group matches, the top two teams of each group will qualify for the Super League, while the bottom two teams will have to play in Plate stage (quarter-finals).

The winners of Super League (quarter-finals) will advance to the semi-finals, while the winners of the Plate (quarter-finals) will qualify for the Plate semifinals.

At the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, Zimbabwe finished 11th out of 16 teams, having taken 10th spot at the 2016 tournament staged in Bangladesh.

Conrad Rautenbach

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

TWO-TIME African Rally champion Conrad Rautenbach shone like a beacon at the just-ended 2020 Dakar Rally, where he narrowly missed a place on the podium after finishing fourth overall, while compatriot Graeme Sharp became the first Zimbabwean to finish the competition on a bike.

Zimbabwe had two representatives at the event, which was being held in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Dakar Rally, which is the biggest off-road endurance event in the world, roared into life on January 5 and came to a conclusion yesterday.

Rautenbach, who finished an impressive ninth in his debut appearance at the competition, resultantly being voted Rookie of the Year in 2017, was gunning for the championship this time around.

But the 35-year-old Zimbabwean, alongside Portuguese co-driver Pedro Bianchi Prata in their PH-Sport buggy, could only settle for fourth place out of 41 drivers in the SSV category.

The Zimbabwean, who has competed at the World Rally Championships, was 1 hour 12 minutes behind class winner American Casey Currie at the end of the gruelling 12 stages, covering almost 7 900km.

Russian Sergei Kariakin and Francisco Lopez Contardo, from Chile, completed the podium, finishing second and third, respectively.

Toyota sponsored Rautenbach at the Dakar rally.

Sharp also achieved his dream of becoming the first local bike rider to finish the tough rally after he finished overall 74th in debut appearance.

The 33-year-old, who was riding for Bas Dakar KTM Racing team, immediately took to Facebook to celebrate his milestone.

“Guys, we made it! I didn’t think this day would come, but it’s here and I feel very honoured and privileged — what an amazing feeling! Back in #Zimbabwe, I think we are going through our own Dakar and it’s pretty tough — but the wheels keep turning and we will get to the end. So grateful for this opportunity and thank you everyone who helped me on #mydakarsafari!” he wrote.

The Dakar Rally bike section registered 147 entrants this year and Sharp did not have the best of starts after finishing the first stage in position 115.

But the rally bike racer gradually improved during the course of the event producing his best ride in Stage 4, where he finished 69th, while he achieved position 83th in the final stage yesterday.

American Ricky Brabec won the bike class, while Chilean Pablo Quintanilla was second and defending champion Australian Toby Price settled for third.

Knowledge Musona was unveiled by AS Eupen yesterday

BY HENRY MHARA

WARRIORS striker Knowledge Musona says he is ready to fight and resuscitate his faltering career, and his loan move to AS Eupen yesterday will provide an ideal opportunity for that.

The Belgian league side announced the capture of the forward on loan from Anderlecht until the end of the season.
If he impresses, the deal will be made permanent.

“I got to know the club and the team in the training camp in Doha and this week‚ and during the training in Eupen and I got a very good impression‚” Musona was quoted as saying on the club’s official website.

Eupen decided to give Musona a chance after his impressive showing during trials at the club last week in Doha, where the team played friendly matches against Dutch sides Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven.

“I feel good here and hope to have some time in Eupen and to be able to support my teammates. The friendlies against Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven were a good start. I am a striker who can be used in many ways. Both in the middle and on both sides. I play where the coach uses me, and I may play against Charleroi, because I’m fit,” Musona said.

He also took to social media to announce his arrival to Eupen.

“Thanks to @kas_eupen for giving me this chance. I will fight every minute on & off the pitch for this beautiful team until the end of season. Glory to God,” Musona tweeted.

Eupen coach Beñat San José expressed joy at having Musona in his squad.

“Knowledge Musona has integrated very well into the team. He is a player who offers us additional opportunities in attack. He can score goals himself, but can also serve his teammates with good templates,” San José said.

Musona is joining Eupen with his Anderlecht teammate Emmanuel Sowah, who has made a permanent switch.

The Warriors captain will be expected to feature for AS Eupen when they start the new year this evening, with a home game against Charleroi.

He will be looking to restart his career, which had stalled since he joined Anderlecht on a four-year contract in May 2018.

Musona has made just eight appearances for the former champions in the first half of last season, starting in three and scoring once.

He was loaned out to fellow league side Lokeren for the remainder of the season and made six appearances, scoring once.